Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

In 1986, a small group of fulachta fiadh was reported in the townlands of Cashel Upper and Lack East (SMR file). Subsequently, some 23 fulachta fiadh (MA070-053001- to MA070-053015 and MA070-053017 to MA053-024----) were identified, located along a c. 700m long portion of a small stream separating the townlands of Cashel Lower and Cashel Upper to the east from Lack East and Lack West to the west: some were only visible in section faces because of the realignment of the stream to form a drainage channel and were covered by up to one metre of peat (Buckley and Lawless 1987, 32-36). Two of the fulachta fiadh provided material suitable for Carbon 14 dating and yielded dates of 830 (+/- 50) B.C and1360 (+/- 40) B.C. (Buckley and Lawless 1988, 23-25).

MA070-053005- was reported in the N half of the group. At the NW foot of a ridge in uneven rush-covered pasture, in a narrow overgrown strip of ground between the NNE-flowing stream to the W and a sturdy boundary wall to the E. The monument was not obviously visible when inspected in August 2025 but sub-surface deposits may survive intact.

Date of visit: 21-8-2025

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

References

Buckley, Victor M. & Lawless, Christy ‘Two C14 Dates for Fulachta Fiadh near Castlebar – Evidence for the Prehistoric ‘Mini Nuclear Winter’ in County Mayo’. Cathair na Mart – Journal of the Westport Historical Society, Vol. 8, No. 1, (1988), 23-25.

Buckley, Victor M. & Lawless, Christy ‘Prehistoric Cooking in Mayo’, Cathair na Mart – Journal of the Westport Historical Society, Vol. 7, No. 1, (1987), 32-36.