Fulacht fia in Curraghtarsna

A wooden trough, reused from a dug out canoe, was discovered during drainage works in the early 1980s (Buckley 1985, 70-71). A subsequent excavation revealed this may have been the trough of a fulacht fia (ibid.). The trough consisted of the hollowed trunk (2.7m long) split along the base to form planks with separate end-beams pegged into position (Buckley 1989/90, 78). The entire structure was caulked with clay (ibid.). At a later date part of the trough collapsed and a rough wall, caulked with clay, was built across it and the damaged area was backfilled thereby shortening the trough (ibid.). The timber has given a radiocarbon date of 3120±35 BP (GrN 12618) (ibid.). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 25 August 2014