2024:709 - Bunratty West, Clare

Monitoring of groundworks associated with a residential development on the outskirts of Bunratty village identified a complex of archaeological features on the eastern slope of a roughly north-south aligned ridge. These features were subsequently excavated under the same licence. The excavation revealed three kilns, several hearths, ditches, linear features and numerous pits consistent with grain processing and associated activities. On the basis of artefactual evidence these features are thought to be primarily late medieval and post-medieval in date, however ongoing post-excavation analysis will allow more secure phasing of the site. Prehistoric activity at the site was identified in the form of a small assemblage of stone tools recovered from later features.

Grain-processing activity was represented by three cereal-drying kilns alongside numerous pits and deposits, some containing charred cereal remains, likely dating to the later medieval period. Two stone-lined keyhole-shaped kilns and a third heavily truncated basal remnant of a kiln were excavated. Possible enclosing elements were identified in the form of two separate east to west aligned boundary ditches, one at the northern end of the site and one at the southern end; both contained 13^th– to 14^th-century pottery (Adare-type ware). A substantial oval pit, possibly a well, measuring 3.18m by 2.7m and 3.5m deep, contained medieval pottery fragments. Further pit clusters, gullies, linear features and isolated post-holes were also identified. Together the medieval features undoubtedly represent part of the original medieval village of Bunratty, likely indicating grain-processing activity on the periphery of the main settlement which lies further to the east.

Given the extent of the excavation works undertaken, a detailed description of the entire site is beyond the scope of this summary, however one particularly notable feature, one of the kilns, merits further detailed description. The cut of the kiln was keyhole shaped, orientated roughly north-south, with an overall length of 4.1m. The drying/heating chamber was situated to the south and measured 2.4m east-west by 2.1m with a maximum depth of 1.1m. The fire chamber at the northern end measured 1.8m east-west by 1m, with a maximum depth of 0.97m. A shallow sub-circular firepit, 0.65m in diameter and up to 0.15m deep, was present within the fire chamber at the mouth of the flue, with extensive in situ burning evident across its base. The kiln structure itself comprised a stone-lined flue and stone-lined circular chamber wall set against the cut of the kiln, typical of a traditional keyhole-shaped corn-drying kiln. A number of additional structural elements, however, distinguish the morphology of the Bunratty kiln. Internally and concentric to the heating chamber wall stood a circle of eight upright orthostatic stones, firmly hammered into the subsoil base of the chamber. The flue, which was made up of large thin rectangular limestone slabs, splayed slightly inwards towards, but not meeting with, the orthostats. Flat limestone slabs were laid across the top of the chamber wall and the orthostats, forming a level outer ring of capstones. The drying chamber was constructed above this capstone ring, in the form of a stone-lined funnel. The subterranean stone-lined void formed by the flue, heating chamber wall, orthostats and capstones would have allowed the thermoconvection of hot air from the firepit along the flue to the heating chamber, acting in turn to superheat the grain-drying chamber above.

Additional to the medieval features a number of post-medieval and modern field boundaries and agricultural features were also identified, many of which truncated the earlier medieval phase of activity.

An investigatory slot was also excavated through a known post-medieval ditch previously investigated in test trenching works by Bradley and King in 1990 in the north-western edge of the site (see entry 1990:010). It had been suggested that the ditch may lie on the line of medieval defences as plotted by Westropp (1915). The slot revealed the ditch to be over 10m wide with a maximum depth of 1.15m and it was cut through the natural glacial till and into the underlying blue grey marl clay. The shallow rounded base of the feature was directly overlain by partially-rotted vegetative material in the form of leafy twigs and branches with larger tree trunks and the ditch also contained back-filled bank material, with finds of modern pottery, bottle glass and red brick. The investigation confirm the 1990 (Bradley & King) assessment of the feature, the ditch is likely post-medieval in origin having been in-filled in the mid 20^th century.

1. Westropp, T J 1915 ‘The earthworks and castle of Bunratty, Co. Clare’, The Journal of the North Munster Archaeological Society Vol 3 – No. 4, 314-327