Fulacht fia in Fermoy

This fulacht fia, located to the W of the bed of a diverted stream, was excavated in 2005 in advance of the construction of the N8 Rathcormac-Fermoy Bypass. It consisted of a spread (c. 10m x 9m) of heat-shattered stones and charcoal-enriched soil which overlay a trough, two pits, a possible second trough and a hearth. A total of 61 stake-holes were associated with the trough and the hearth. The trough (2.15m x 1.46m; D 0.48m) was rectangular and some of the stake-holes associated with it probably held a timber lining in place. The S corner of the trough was truncated by a pit (1.8m x 1.1m; D 0.53m) which may have been a second trough. The hearth (1.5m x 1.1m; D 0.05m) was located to the NW of the trough and its N edge was defined by 16 stake-holes. A further three stake-holes were located to the W of the hearth. The possible trough also truncated the N side of a pit (1.7m x 1.4m; D 0.35m). Another smaller pit (0.6m x 0.55m; D 0.45m) was found to the SE of the trough. Two groups of Bronze Age features (CO035-145----, CO035-146----) were excavated to the NE and SE of this fulacht fia. (O'Reilly 2006, 1-59) The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009