Brickworks in Conigar

A 19th-century brick kiln excavated by Ken Wiggins (02E1814) (Grogan, O’Donnell & Johnston 2007, 270). Excavation results summarised as following; 'The site was exposed during the monitoring of topsoil-stripping along the Bord Gáis Éireann Barnakyle to Coonagh West gas pipeline (No. 1128 above, 02E1649). It lay on flat, low-lying pastureland c. 80m north of the Shannon River. It was initially identified as a concentrated spread of brick fragments, burnt clay and charcoal, measuring 10.5m (east-west) by 7m. After cleaning of the area, eight lines or rows of brick-based material emerged, aligned roughly north-west/south-east and spaced 0.5-0.7m apart. The lines continued to the north, beyond the limits of the Bord Gáis Éireann wayleave. These rows measured c. 4m in excavated length (north-south) and were c. 0.4m wide. The surviving deposits, no more than 0.1m deep, consisted of soft, grey/black soil and varying amounts of crushed brick fragments. Several larger pieces of brick were sampled for study. A number of in situ brick outlines were visible as rectangular impressions in the soft, blackened clay, illustrating how the bricks were stacked rows. The spaces between the brick rows were heavily oxidised, with evidence of intense scorching/firing of the ground, confirming the site as the remains of a kiln. The site was generally very poorly preserved and was found to be ripped by mechanical excavator markings, aligned east-west, indicating that the ground had been levelled at some point, probably during a phase of work on the Shannon embankment, 400m north of the site. The brick kiln at Conigar is similar to one found by Donald Murphy during work on the Portumna Sewerage Scheme in 1998 (Excavations 1998, No. 263, 98E0386), dated by the excavator to the 17th century. Another 'brick clamp' (temporary kiln) of this type was excavated on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West project in 2002 by Graham Hull (see No. 1164 below, 02E0557, BGE 3/67/4, Dollas Upper). The 1840 edition of the OS map shows that the site was on the edge of a 'brick field'. Brick fields or 'brick holes' are also shown farther east on the same map, in Castlemungret, Bunlicky, Ballykeeffe and Ballinacurra (Hart). The discovery of the temporary kiln at Conigar confirms that on-site production of bricks occurred simultaneously with the quarrying of raw materials, and the excavated kiln may date from the 19th century'.