Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Indicated on the 1st (1840) ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular enclosure (diam. c. 40m) but not shown on the 1899-1902 revision of this map. It is visible as a sub-circular enclosure defined by a fosse on an aerial photograph (CUCAP ASW038, 17 July 1967). The monument was archaeologically excavated in1972 (License No. E000108) prior to its removal by quarrying (Foley 1972, 17; Foley 2006, 5-22). It was situated, ‘on the eastern tip of a ridge of dolomite, on the 210ft contour, with extensive views of the surrounding countryside and part of the Nore valley’ (ibid. 5).
The enclosure (overall diam. 56m) was defined by a rock-cut V-shaped fosse (overall Wth 5m; Wth at base 03m; D 2m) with no evidence of a bank (Foley 2006, 10, 18). The fosse appears to have been deliberately backfilled with loosely packed stones and finds included portion of an amber bead, fragment of a lignite bangle and a hone stone (ibid. 10). Though the monument had been levelled there were still the remains of a possible occupation layer with, ‘scattered patches of bright red, intensely burnt, earth’, as well as two intersecting arcs of post-holes or post-pits, a possible hearth and pits (ibid. 13). The excavator suggested an early medieval date for this enclosure based on the artefact assemblage and the monument’s similarity to an excavated ringfort (KK024-010001-) c. 290m to the NW, (ibid. 18). Other monuments in the vicinity include an enclosure (KK024-012----) c. 200m to the NE also quarried out and a ringfort (KK024-011----) c. 220m to the NNE.

See attached:
KK024-014----_01 aerial photograph (CUCAP ASW038, 17 July 1967)

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 10 November 2021

References

Foley, C. 1972 Dunbell: ringfort. In T. Delaney (ed.) Excavations 1972: summary accounts of archaeological work in Ireland, 17. Belfast. Association of Young Irish Archaeologists and Ulster Archaeological Society.

Foley, C. 2006 Excavation of a ringfort at Dunbell Big, Co. Kilkenny. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 136, 5-22.