Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Within the western flood-plain of the River Nore, with undulating farmland and patches of reclaimed boggy ground. This fulacht fia was revealed during archaeological monitoring of a Bord Gáis Éireann gas pipeline development and was subsequently excavated in August 1999 (Stevens 2000, 151; Licence no. 99E0599).
It consisted of a partially exposed spread (dims. 8.5m x 6m; D 0.2m) of fire-cracked sandstone and charcoal-rich, silty sand, representing part of a denuded fulacht fia. The mound was heavily truncated by later ploughing. Two large areas of burnt soil lay to the E of the mound and were interpreted as an informal circular hearth (dims. 3.5m x 3m; D 0.1m) and a second hearth and platform area, for heating stones to use in the fulacht fia. The platform and hearth contained several dump deposits of pink ash, white ash and an irregular, disturbed limestone and sandstone spread (dims. 12m x 6m; D 0.22m). (Stevens 2000, 151)

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 31 July 2018

References

Stevens, P. 2000 Parksgrove: 3: fulacht fiadh. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1999: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 151 (entry 460). Bray. Wordwell.