Fulacht fia, Bellmount, Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Settlement Sites

Fulacht fia, Bellmount, Co. Cork

In a stretch of reclaimed pasture near a stream in Bellmount, County Cork, a spread of burnt material marks the site of a fulacht fia, one of the most common yet quietly puzzling monument types in the Irish archaeological landscape.

A fulacht fia is a prehistoric cooking place, typically consisting of a horseshoe-shaped mound of fire-cracked stones and charcoal, built up over centuries of repeated use beside a water source. The method involved heating stones in a fire, then dropping them into a water-filled trough to bring it to a boil, cooking meat or, as some researchers have argued, serving other purposes entirely. What makes this particular example worth pausing over is its proximity to a second fulacht fia, located roughly fifty metres to the northeast. Two such sites in close proximity raises questions that archaeology does not yet answer with certainty: whether both were in use simultaneously, whether one replaced the other over time, or whether the stream simply made this a repeatedly attractive location across generations.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Fulacht fia, Bellmount, Co. Cork. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement