House — prehistoric in Loughgur

National monument No. 247. House site C excavated by Ó Ríordáin in the 1940s it was located on the S slope of Knockadoon. Site C lay east of Site A (LI032-022010-) and occupied a considerable portion of the hill-side which sloped from north to south, the lake shore being about 114 yards to the south. The area was attractively placed for habitation not only because of its southern aspect but also because it was to some extent sheltered from the east by the rocky ridge on which Site D (LI032-022016-) was situated. The house sites were located on a rocky shelf standing on a ridge of rock outcrop which ran north-south and gave protection to the whole site. To the west the limit of the site was again reached at a rock surface. To the north the inhabited area finally ceased at a point where the hill slope changed gradient and somewhat flattened out to the more level area above (Ó Ríordáin 1954, 321, 368). Prior to excavation the monument was partially visible as 'stones forming an approximate right angle appeared over the surface and it was thought that these indicated one corner of a rectangular house -possibly of the same type as that already uncovered on Site A. As the excavation proceeded, however, it was found that these stones were part of a wall which extended much further than originally anticipated and which represented a late phase of activity on the site (Ó Ríordáin 1954, 321). House site described by O'Kelly (1944, 25) as following; 'Within an enclosing stone wall were a number of circular posthole houses of an average diameter of 20' [6m]. The pottery was neolithic, but some later types in the upper levels indicated that occupation on the site continued into the Bronze Age'. The houses consisted of an outer wall formed of two concentric rings of posts about a metre apart, the space between having been filled with mud. The hearths were in the centre and beside each was a rubbish pit (O'Kelly and O'Kelly 1978, 36). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 21 May 2018