Habitation site in Carrowdough

Located in sand dunes, bordering the NE side of Culleenamore Strand. Exposed in a subrectangular hollow (c. 20m NW–SE; c. 17m NE–SW; D c. 2m) which was dug into the marram-grass-covered dunes in order to extract sand. A close-set row (L c. 3.7m) of eight, earth-fast boulders, on a NW-SE axis, is partly exposed in the sandy section face at the NW end of the NE side of the hollow. The boulders vary in size with the largest, located at the NW end, measuring c. 0.7m in height and c. 0.6m in length. Smaller isolated stones are visible further to SE on the same side of the hollow, with two larger stones at the SE end of this side. Close to the SE corner of the hollow, two further boulders are visible. Surface scatters of shells (oyster, periwinkle, cockle) and a few burnt stones are evident on the sandy floor of the hollow, adjacent to the row of stones. These fragmentary remains are difficult to interpret; it is unclear how the various elements relate to one other. The row of boulders may be the remains of a field boundary or a structure. The whole may represent the remains of a habitation site. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 24 August 2015