Bronze Age settlement found on site of bypass

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have discovered a Bronze Age settlement and a number of other significant finds on the proposed route of a multi-million euro bypass in County Cork.

National Roads Authority project archaeologist Ken Hanley confirmed yesterday that they had made a very exciting find near the village of Rathcormac.

Pottery found at the site at Ballybrowney Lower, one mile west of the village, indicates it was inhabited around 1600BC.

The site had three large enclosures and was surrounded by timber defences which were probably around 10ft high. “A site of this type was unknown of in Cork before this,” Mr Hanley said.

He said inside the defences there was evidence of a home which was lived in by a high-ranking person. A detailed report has been sent to Duchas who will decide where to extend the excavations.

Some of the 65 archaeologists who worked on the project believe the site could be considerably larger, and the site has been preserved in case of future research. A number of other discoveries have also been made along the 17km route of the bypass, which will link Watergrasshill and Fermoy.

The oldest site uncovered is Neolithic and dates from around 3000BC at Curraghprevin, just south of Rathcormac. There archaeologists found what appeared to be a temporary encampment occupied by “a small hunter-gatherer unit.”

Mr Hanley said pottery had been discovered in pits and these items had been sent to specialists for analysis. Cooking pits were also found during excavations.

Fifteen cooking pits or Fulachta Fiadh have been identified along the bypass route. Evidence of a Bronze Age cremation and burial was also found on a hill slightly south of the town of Fermoy. In total 44 sites were identified during excavations.