Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Eighteen potential archaeological sites were found during monitoring of topsoil-stripping on the Celbridge Interchange, from April to December 2001 (Licence no. 01E0306). The scheme was approximately 4km in length and ran from Celbridge to Leixlip through gently undulating land with a mixture of arable, pasture and woodland. The southern part of the scheme runs through an area heavily influenced by 18th-century landscape design, with avenues, woodland and tree-lined field boundaries centred on the early 18th-century house at Castletown.
This site (Site 15) prior to excavation consisted of a flat spread of heat-fractured stones measuring 14m by 4.5m. This spread was cut in two by a linear feature running north-east/south-west; this later proved to be a post-medieval boundary ditch. A modern water pipe was also found to be cutting across the site on its northern edge. The spread measured between 0.05m and 0.1m in thickness and sealed numerous features. Four rectangular troughs were uncovered, two pits, five post-holes and 21 stake-holes. Most of the latter were located on the southern edge of the site. (www.excavations.ie)

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011