2021:177 - The Grove, Dingle, Kerry

Archaeological testing at The Grove in the northern limits of Dingle town, Co. Kerry, was undertaken in August 2021. A total of eighteen north-west/south-east orientated linear test trenches (T1-T18) with an overall meterage of c.2030m were opened with a back-acting 14-tonne track machine utilising a 1.6m wide flat grading bucket. Nothing of archaeological interest was noted in sixteen trenches (T1-T8, T10 and T12-T18). Archaeological features comprising of two charcoal-enriched pits were recorded in T9 and T11.
Following contact with the National Monuments Service licence 21E0474 was amended to undertake full excavation of the two pit features in late August 2021. An area measuring c.12m x 12m was opened around a sub-oval north-west/south-east orientated pit found in T9. The area was cleaned by hand and no additional archaeology was recorded within. The exposed pit measured 2.7m x 1.5m with maximum depth of 0.34m and contained four charcoal-rich fills.
A rectangular area measuring 10m x 5m was opened around the second pit found in T11. The sub-oval pit was situated c.40m south-east of the pit in Area 1. It was orientated north-east/south-west and measured 1.5m x 1.15m with a maximum depth of 0.18m. It contained four fills of which one of the basal ones comprised almost exclusively of charcoal chunks with very little silt and sand within and some heat-affected stones inclusions. No artefacts were recovered from the two pits and no additional features were noted within the two areas.
The pits are most likely charcoal-production pits from the latter end of the early medieval period based on the radiocarbon date from charcoal from the nearby pit excavated in Cappa in 2005 (Dunne & Bartlett 2005).
References:
Dunne, L. & Bartlett, T. (2005) Archaeological Monitoring Report, Cappa, Dingle, Co. Kerry, 01E0811 Ext. Unpublished report, Eachtra Archaeological Projects.

3 Lios na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee Co. Kerry