Fulacht fia in Kilcannon

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as Kilcannon 1 (Hardy et al. 2010, 105). It is situated at the bottom of a NW-facing slope and in the fold of a SW-NE stream c. 770m from where the stream debouches into a N-S section of the River Slaney. The stream is now channelled c. 20m to the NW at the monument, but its original course is marked on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. It was excavated (E4283) by B. Sutton who recorded upper (dims 9.4m x 9.15m; max. T 0.35m) and lower (dims 11m x 10m; T 0.2m) deposits of burnt stone that probably extend outside the excavated area to the SW under a post-medieval field bank. The mound was cut severely by five drains, but it overlay an oval trough (dims 1.5m N-S; 0.6m E-W; D 0.15m), and the base of an oval trough (dims 1.4m NE-SW; 1m NE-SW; D 0.1m) is c. 1.4m to the SE. The second trough was stone-lined, and stones extended outside it to the NW, perhaps providing a paved path leading to the first trough. Just 2-4m NE of the second trough was a cluster of 74 stake-holes, which are interpreted as a possible wind-break. Fulacht fia (WX020-094----) is c. 65m to the SW. (Hull 2011; Sutton 2013) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 28 November, 2013