Fulacht fia in Carstown (ferrard By; Termonfecin Par.) — Report the wrong picture

What is recorded here

Seven metres of fire-cracked stone still lie flat in Carstown, marking the exact spot where water was boiled and food was cooked before any pot was invented. The excavated trough measured 3.6m long, ringed by eight postholes that may have stood as a screen against wind or watching neighbours. Anyone who dropped a stone into that boiling water heard the cracks ring back, a sound the earth kept for a thousand years.

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Located in level area of formerly boggy ground. In 1998 it was visible as a spread of fire-cracked sandstones and dark soil (max. diam. 7m) (Carroll 1988, 57). This site was subsequently excavated (Excavation Licence 98E0042). A 10m by 6.75m spread of fire cracked sandstone and charcoal stained clay was uncovered with a max. D of 0.24m. Underneath lay the natural boulder clay into which a number of features were cut including a trough (dims c. 3.6m x 1.6m) and eight postholes which may have acted as a screen for the trough. (Murphy, Donald 2000a, 140-1)

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.