What is recorded here

Seven furnaces still hold heat in memory though no flame has touched them since the Iron Age. They sit on a low knoll north-east of Portlaoise, buried beneath fields that have forgotten their purpose. The metalworkers came and went, leaving only scorched earth and circular cuts in the soil. What they made has vanished, but the shape of their effort remains, waiting for someone to imagine the noise and light that once filled that small valley.

During archaeological monitoring conducted on the Portlaoise Bypass an extensive Iron Age complex and associated features were discovered in the townland of Ballydavis. A full-scale excavation followed during the period May-Nov. 1995. The site lay atop a low knoll (130 OD), some 4km north-east of Portlaoise town. The approximate area covered was 250m x 130m. The complex consisted of four ring-ditches, seven furnaces, and a series of pits and post-holes. Several furnaces were also excavated. These features yielded evidence for metal-smelting and are an indication of the additional aspect of industrial activity on the site. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 17 December 2007

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