Fulacht fia, Charlesfield, Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Settlement Sites

Fulacht fia, Charlesfield, Co. Cork

In a marshy corner of Charlesfield in north County Cork, a low grass-covered mound conceals what was once a prehistoric cooking site.

To the untrained eye it reads as little more than a slight rise in wet ground, but beneath the turf lies a spread of burnt and fire-cracked stone, the characteristic signature of a fulacht fia.

A fulacht fia, sometimes spelled fulacht fiadh, is a type of ancient outdoor cooking place found across Ireland in considerable numbers. The typical arrangement involved a trough, often timber-lined or cut into the earth, filled with water, into which stones heated in a nearby fire were dropped to bring the water to a boil. The discarded, shattered stones accumulated over repeated use into a horseshoe-shaped mound, and it is precisely this kind of spread that survives at Charlesfield. What makes the site quietly notable is that a second fulacht fiadh lies immediately to its south-west, suggesting this stretch of marshy ground saw repeated or sustained prehistoric activity rather than a single isolated episode. Marshy locations are typical for these sites, since a reliable source of water was essential to the whole process, and the low-lying, seasonally wet ground here would have suited that purpose well.

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, Charlesfield, 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