Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a gently undulating landscape. Archaeological testing (04E0922) by J. Roynane (2005) at Testing Area 5 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified archaeological material (excavations.ie 2004:1287) that was partially excavated (E003160) by T. Coughlan (2010) as Ballybeg 3 in August 2006 (excavations.ie 2007:1261), although the townland is Martry. An area of almost 700 square metres was opened at the NE edge of the road-take revealing some large ditches and the S edge of a burnt mound, most of which extended outside the excavated area to the N. A square flat-bottomed trough (dims 2.03m NW-SE x 2.05m; D 0.52m) with two fills of black silty clay and heat-shattered stone had an oval pit (dims 1.75m x 1m; D 0.2m), interpreted as a possible roasting pit, just to the SE with the same fill. A sample of ash charcoal from the lower fill of the trough yielded a C14 date of 1600-1431 cal. BC (UBA 12095). There was an oval hearth (dims 0.84m x 0.75m; D 0.07m) just SE of the possible roasting pit, but a hearth (dims 1.2m x 1.15m; D 0.34m) with a plentiful supply of heat-shattered stones was c. 5m to the E of the trough and at the S edge of the burnt mound. A sample of hazel charcoal from this hearth provided a C14 date of 1897-1693 cal. BC (UBA 12096). There were two postholes c. 4m W of the trough and four pits (dims 0.47m x 0.4m; D 0.17m to 1.03m x 0.83m; D 0.06m) were sealed by the S slip of the burnt mound, which manifested as several isolated small spreads (dims 1.15m x 0.8m; T 0.1m to 2.5m x 0.97m; T 0.02m) but most of the mound is probably outside the excavated area. Two parallel N-S ditches (Wth 3.3m; D 0.83m: Wth 2.5m; D 0.6m), 4m apart, are just to the W and medieval or post-medieval in date, while E-W furrows were perpendicular to them. (Coughlan 2010, 5-9)

See the attached plan from Coughlan (2010, fig. 5)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload; 23 March 2022

References

Roynane, J. 2005 M3 Clonee-North of Kells; Contract 4, Navan - Kells and Kells Bypass. Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 5 in Martry and Ballybeg, County Meath. Licence: 04E0922. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy

Coughlan, T. 2010 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Ballybeg 3, Co. Meath. Licence: E003160. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy