What is recorded here

Busherstown holds a tiny circular pit where human bone burned before the road arrived. Sixty metres north, another hole waited for spent fire fuel, while a third site seventy-five metres northeast may have witnessed the cremation itself. The ground kept a small violent ceremony hidden beneath ordinary soil, waiting for shovels to reveal the heat and loss it swallowed.

Excavated in advance of construction of the N9/N10 Kilcullen-Waterford Road (Excavation Licence number E2582). Circular pit (diam. 0.3m; D 0.19m) containing burnt human bone with no associated finds. A pit found c. 60m to the N was interpreted as having originally been used for the deposition of spent fuel from a fire and subsequently as a fire spot. A second pit was discovered c. 75m to the NE of the cremation pit and this produced evidence for in-situ burning which has been interpreted as being possibly related to the cremation process. (O' Neill N. 2009, 7-9) Reference: O' Neill N. 2009 N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme: Kilcullen to Powerstown. Archaeological Services Contract No. 4 - Resolution, Prumpelstown to Powerstown. Final Report on archaeological investigations at site E2582, in the townland of Busherstown, Co. Carlow. Unpublished report, Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd., Cork Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 10 November 2010

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