What is recorded here

Kilmainham holds three Early Bronze Age hut-sites, a stone platform, pit-burials and a burnt mound, meaning people kept returning to that narrow spur across generations. Structure 4 sat near the bottom of an east-facing slope, its eight perimeter postholes marking a small oval chamber perhaps two metres wide. Hazelnut shell from one hole dated the place to 2128-1926 BC, while a possible late Neolithic structure waited ten metres away. The absence of a hearth and the uncertain entrance suggest a temporary shelter, a seasonal kitchen or a forgotten ritual space rather than an ordinary home.

Three hut-sites, a stone platform or cairn, some pit-burials and burnt mound 2 can be dated to the Early Bronze Age (2500-1700 BC). Structure 4 is situated towards the bottom of the E-facing slope of the S-N spur, and is about 10m NE of the possible late Neolithic structure VI. This is a roughly subcircular feature (dims 2.4m E-W; 1.5m N-S) defined by eight postholes on the perimeter, with four internal postholes and some stakeholes, but it is not known in most cases if the posts rotted in situ. There is no internal hearth, and an entrance at N is tentatively suggested. However, if two postholes at the E edge are interpreted as a porch the structure would be smaller (diam. c. 2m E-W). Nor were any diagnostic artefacts recovered, but a sample of hazelnut shell from an internal posthole provided a C14 date of 2128-1926 cal. BC, placing it in the Early Bronze Age. (Walsh 2011, vol. 1, 67-8) See the attached plans adapted from Walsh (2011, figs 6, 7, 17) ME017-087_1 Site plan; ME017-087_2 Contour plan; ME017-087_6 Location; ME017-087001-_1 Plan; Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 21 March 2022

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