Structure

The National Monuments Service's description

Between September 1990 and January 1991 remote sensing and trial trenching was carried out at a ringfort (KK024-010001-) in Dunbell Big (Cassidy 1990, 38-9; Cassidy 1991, 18-20). Excavations in the interior uncovered the remains of a circular structure (Cassidy 1990, 39). According to Cassidy (1991, 19-20), this circular structure, ‘had a porched east entrance. It was 6m in diameter and was probably wattle-built as traces of posthole remains were found in the foundation trench. There were no features surviving inside the house and the absence of a hearth area in particular leads to speculation on the function of the building’. A square house (KK024-010006-) was uncovered immediately to the N and the excavator suggested that, ‘the structure is sited alongside the square house yet does not overlap or interfere with it. This might suggest contemporaneity’ (ibid. 20).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 9 November 2021

References

Cassidy, B. 1991 Dunbell ringfort No. 5, Dunbell Big. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1990: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 38-9. Bray. Wordwell.

Cassidy, B. 1991 Digging at Dunbell Big. Archaeology Ireland 5, no. 2, 18-20.