Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated close to marshy ground, on the N side of a watercourse. Not depicted on OS historic mapping. A fulacht fiadh (LI021-177----) lies 280m to SW. Monument identified as a possible fulacht fiadh during monitoring of topsoil stripping along the route of the N20/N21 Adare to Annacotty road scheme (Deevy & O’Driscoll 1999, 1). Monument excavated (Licence No. 99E0459) by Mary Deevy & Liz O’Driscoll in 1999 and described as a subcircular-shaped pit (diam. 1.8m; D 0.3m) that may have been a trough associated with a fulacht fiadh (ibid). There was evidence for a wooden structure in the form of stakeholes in its base and surrounding its upper edges (Deevy & O’Driscoll 1999, 2). The possible trough was filled with black, charcoal-rich soil that contained frequent fragments of degraded sandstone. There was also a series of shallow, irregular-shaped pits and depressions, which all had an upper fill of black, charcoal-rich soil with frequent fragments of degraded sandstone. It is not possible to confirm if any of these features were hearths due to the lack of evidence for in situ burning. There were no artefacts or animal bone were recovered from any of these features.

See attached location map and plan of excavated site taken from Deevy & O'Driscoll 1999

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 10 August 2020

References

Deevy, M. & O’Driscoll, L. 1999 Excavations at Attyflin Td, Co. Limerick. N20/N21 Road Improvement Scheme. Unpublished report (Licence No. 99E0459), submitted by Archaeological Development Services Ltd. on behalf of Limerick County Council to the National Monuments Service, Dúchas.