House - prehistoric

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a low ridge of ground in Derryville Bog. A number of house sites were discovered during monitoring of topsoil removal. Excavation revealed three round houses (A, B and C) with a possible fourth structure (D) to the S and a possible fifth earlier structure (E) which was disturbed by the wall-slots of houses A and B. Houses A, B and C appear to be contemporary and stood side by side. Finds from the site included coarse pottery of Bronze Age appearance, a fragment of a saddle quern, burnt daub, rubbing stones, hammerstones, a possible whetstone, some struck chert and flint.
House A (diam. 9m) was defined by a circular wall-slot containing occasional stake-holes possibly of wattle-built walls with a doorway facing SE. Inside the wall-slot there was evidence for internal roof supports in the form of a circular setting of 6 post-holes. House B was located immediately N of house A and consisted of a subcircular area (diam. C.8m) defined by a wall-slot with an internal ring of stake-holes for internal roof supports and main doorway facing SE. House C was located to the NE of house A and was only partially visible due to possible disturbance by a modern field boundary and tree-line. A number of post-holes and the W portion of the enclosing wall-slot along with the doorway at SE were the only features visible.
Structure D was located 9m S of house A and consisted of an interrupted gully, a possible doorway and two post-holes inside the doorway. The excavator was unable to conclusively identify the function or extent of this structure. Structure E was a possible post-built structure which was cut by the W side of house A nd the E side of house B. A large number of other subsidary features which predated houses A and B were identified and formed a possible subrectangular pattern. The excavator was uncertain of the true nature of this structure. (Ó Néill 1998, Killoran 8, 173-4)

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008