Road - class 1 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

According to local information, formerly visible as a low linear ridge crossing the full width of the bog (est. L c. 1300m ENE-WSW), known locally as ‘The Dane’s Road’ and reputed to have linked the Cistercian monastery of Monasterevin (KD026-001----), to the W, with a graveyard (KD027-002----) in Oghil, to the E. Although largely cut-away, the W portion of the ridge appears to have marked the townland boundary between Globeisland or Cloncarlin and Clonegath, while sections of the surviving E portion (L c. 200m; W 6-8 m; H 0.1 m) were investigated by Rynne (1961-3, 449-456) at four points. The togher lay some 1.5m below the surface of the bog and was composed, generally, of about five beams (two oak; three alder; diams. 0.15 - 0.20 m; total Wth 1m) laid longitudinally and held in place by occasional pegs, also of oak and alder, and ash, while one short stretch (Rynne’s Point C) appeared to be constructed of brushwood alone. In another area (Rynne’s Point D) the togher was composed of longitudinal beams overlain by occasional transverse beams (togher Wth 1.3-1.5m) covered by a rough layer of brushwood. The togher was radiocarbon dated to AD 984-1023 [1030±15;GrN-14731] (Brindley & Lanting 1998, 47). Rynne also mentions a local report of a skeleton having been discovered ‘on’ the togher c. 1942. Portions of the togher may still survive at the extreme E-end, and also some 250m W of the E-end where some short lengths of uncut turf banks (H 2-2.5m) survive. The W-end appears to have been cut away and planted in forestry which has since been clear-felled.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 28 August 2012