Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in the intertidal zone on the NE shoreline of Coney Island at the SW end of Sligo Harbour.
This monument was discovered in August 2014 on the N shore of Coney Island. The uppermost sections of a rectangular, stone, cist-like structure were exposed in the sand below the high-water mark. Excavation (14E0478) of the structure revealed that it consists of a trough-like feature defined by six limestone slabs set on edge (internal dims. 1.49m E-W by 0.69m N-S and c. 0.5m deep) and floored internally by two flat slabs. The trough is orientated E-W. Both the E and W ends are closed by a single slab. The N and S sides were defined by two stones, a long slab and a short upright narrow stone beside it. The uppermost 0.22m of each of the main sidestones was visibly discoloured indicating the level of exposure to the elements and seawater. The lower section of the fill of the trough contained a large quantity of heat-shattered and fire-cracked stones, and some charcoal. The absence of evidence of burning on the slabs and within the structure precludes the possibility that it might have been a hearth. No artefacts were recovered. The excavation revealed that the pit for the structure originally had been cut into the natural beach sand and, although initially interpreted as a possible cist, the evidence suggests that the remains are more than likely to be a stone-lined trough of a fulacht fia. The trough was backfilled after the excavation and remains in situ. It has been dated to the late Bronze Age (908-810 cal. BC; pers. comm. J. Bonsall). The monument is known locally as a 'lover's wishing well' or a 'sailor’s grave’.

When the trough was first recorded in 2014, no evidence of an associated mound of burnt stone was visible. On 17th July 2015 a roughly circular spread (diam. c. 8m) of pinkish-brown, angular heat-shattered stones was noted 2m to S of the trough. It was exposed by the eroding action of a high tide which scoured away the covering sand layers (pers. comm. Dr. J. Bonsall, Masc Project, Sligo IT). Immediately to SE of the stone spread, a midden (SL008-204----) of oyster shell and periwinkle shells was also exposed. When inspected on 21st July 2015, tidal action had again largely concealed these features with a covering layer of sand.

Attached images:
Images SL008-205----_01.jpg and SL008-205----_02.jpg are uploaded courtesy of Ciarán Davis.

SL008-205----_01.jpg Looking north across the bay to Rosses Point with Ben Bulben in the background. (Photograph: C. Davis).
SL008-205----_02.jpg The trough after excavation (Photograph: C. Davis).
SL008-205----_03.JPG Ranging rod indicates the spread of burnt stone, associated with the stone lined trough (in foreground), viewed from N (Photograph: ASI)

Compiled by: Paul Walsh based on details kindly provided by Dr Marion Dowd, Institute of Technology, Sligo.

Date of revised upload: 22 July 2015

References

Anon. 2014 Coney Island cist. Archaeology Ireland 28, no. 3, 6.