Excavation — miscellaneous in Fermoy

This group of features, located to the S of the bed of a diverted stream, was partially excavated in 2005 in advance of the construction of the N8 Rathcormac-Fermoy Bypass. The first of these comprised a curved feature (L c. 5.4m; Wth 1.2m; D 0.4m) which extended to the E, beyond the excavated area. It was filled with a black sandy silt which had inclusions of heat-shattered stones and charcoal. Between this feature and the stream bed was a stony spread (L 2m; D 0.16m) which overlay two pits: a large pit (1.1m x 0.42m; D 0.39m) and a smaller pit (0.4m x 0.23m; D 0.17m). The pits were situated 1.75m apart and both had been truncated by the stream bed. The fill of the larger of the pits included charcoal and heat-shattered stones. A further four pits, the smallest of which measured 0.54m x 0.53m; D 0.22m, and two stake-holes were excavated to the S of the linear feature. A flint flake was recovered from the fill of one of the pits. The fill from the largest of these pits (1.84m x 1.42m; D 0.3m) was radiocarbon-dated to the early Bronze Age, 2335-2036 cal. BC. (O'Reilly 2006) The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009