Excavation

On a gentle SW-facing slope, in low-lying pasture, c. 600m to E of the Groody River. Not depicted on OS historic mapping. Identified by Sarah McCutcheon, Executive Archaeologist, Limerick Co. Co. in 2003 during monitoring (Licence No. 03E1343) of phase 1, Castletroy distributor road (McCutcheon 2003). This revealed a series of features in three fields. Field 1 contained three pits, four further pits containing cremated burials which were all excavated, including one pit with multiple burials; two other pits which might contain cremations were recorded (ibid). In Field 2 twenty small pits/deposits, two linear features, a rectangular feature and a possible drain were recovered, most of which proved post-medieval in date (ibid). Six trenches/drains, six pits, five possible post-pits and eleven stake-holes were also recorded within Field 2, in addition to a shallow, roughly circular-shaped trench (diam. 4.2m). In Field 3, there were six possible pits and four small concentrations of charcoal uncovered (ibid). The road was 400m in length and the initial 220m was in cut and all features were excavated. It would appear that those features found across the second half of the scheme were in a fill area and retained in situ. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 29 June 2020