Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Fulacht Fia listed as Site B and excavated prior to the construction of the N20/21 Adare to Annacotty road schemeArchaeological material initially identified during monitoring of topsoil stripping. Excavations in 1999 by Mary Deevy carried out under Licence No. 99E0235 revealed two fulachta fia (LI013-169001-) 15m apart and the results were summarised as following; ‘In Site B the charcoal spread was much smaller, 5.5m in maximum diameter and 0.1m deep. A subrectangular trough was found immediately adjacent to the spread, again on its western, i.e. river, side. The trough measured 2.2m by 2.1m and 0.5m in maximum depth. It was mainly filled with burnt mound material. Inside the trough at its eastern end a rectangular slab of limestone stood upright on the base of the trough, while there was a row of stake-holes along the southern side and in a cluster beside the slab on the northern side of the trough. The natural subsoil on which these sites were found was very stony. However, it was clear that the large amount of natural stones had been augmented and consolidated on the western side of Site B to form a fairly flat stone surface between it and the river. Site B was truncated by two linear ditches running perpendicular to each other, which were probably field drains. No artefacts were recovered from either site’ (www.excavations.ie 1999:533; Deevy 1999).

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 29 June 2020

References

Deevy, M 1999 Excavations at Rossbrien Td, Co. Limerick, N20/21 Road Improvement Scheme. Unpublished report (Licence No. 99E0235), submitted by Archaeological Development Services Ltd. on behalf of Limerick Co. Co. to the National Monuments Service, Dúchas

Deevy, M 2000 Stratigraphical Report, on excavations at Rossbrien Td, Co. Limerick, N20/21 Road Improvement Scheme. Unpublished report (Licence No. 99E0235), submitted by Archaeological Development Services Ltd. on behalf of Limerick Co. Co. to the National Monuments Service, Dúchas