Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

On the western edge of a small peat basin known locally as ‘Poirtín Fuinch’ and 10m SSW of a megalithic tomb (MA085-008001-). It sits immediately S of the right-angled junction in a tumbled dry-stone wall. The fulacht fia is visible as a small, low, grassy, mound that is mantled in bracken in summer, roughly oval in plan (c. 4.3m ENE–WSW, c. 3.8m SSE– NNW). Its edges peter out almost imperceptibly on all sides, but it is c. 0.5m high on the eastern side. A number of small stones protrude through the sward on its summit. The sod (T 0.05–0.15m) conceals a mass of small angular stones (max. dim. 0.05–0.13m) but little or no traces of heat fracturing or charcoal. Some 5m NNE of this mound on the opposite side of the aforementioned wall is the approximate centre point of possible second mound (c. 4m E–W, c. 2m N–S, H 0.2m), only faint traces of which are discernible. This may represent the northern arm of the fulacht fia. If so, it would appear to partially overlie the cairn of the megalithic tomb. While the location and surface morphology suggest that this monument is a fulacht fia, the character of the stone may hint otherwise.

The above description is derived from: New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 5: Archaeology. Edited by Paul Gosling, Conleth Manning and John Waddell. (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. 2007). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.

Date of upload: 29 November 2018

References

Gosling, P., Manning, C. and Waddell, J. (eds.) 2007 New Survey of Clare Island, Volume 5: Archaeology. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy.