2021:223 - Knockbrogan, Cork

Eighteen archaeological test trenches, totalling 981m in length, were excavated at a land parcel (proposed housing development site) within Knockbrogan townland, Bandon, County Cork. These works were carried out subsequent to a programme of geophysical survey within the site (detection device licence 21R0195). In general, the ploughsoil within the excavated trenches consisted of a dark-brown sandy clay with occasional modern inclusions present to the base, including sherds of modern ceramics, glass and other modern detritus. The ploughsoil was up to 0.7m deep towards the lower slopes of the fields and 0.4m deep along upper slopes of the fields. The underlying natural subsoil consisted of a mottled, orange/brown clayed sand with frequent bands of gravel, shale and localised bedrock outcrops. It was highly disturbed in places, presumably due to a combination of ploughing and land improvement works. The upcast ploughsoil from all the excavated trenches was scanned by a discriminating detection device (21R0249) and no potential archaeological artefacts were uncovered.

In total, 10 potential archaeological features were identified in five of the excavated test trenches (Trenches 1, 9, 11, 12, and 15). Manual investigation revealed post-medieval pottery sherds of potential 17th/18th-century date within the upper surfaces of two potential features: curvilinear feature T11/F01; and linear feature T12/F01. The remining potential features consisted of an alignment of five possible post-/stake-holes in the centre of T15 and an isolated hearth at the eastern end of the trench. Another isolated possible pit feature was uncovered at the southern end of T9, towards the south-eastern corner of the proposed development site.

John Cronin & Associates, 3A Westpoint Trade Centre, Ballincollig, Co. Cork