Road - class 3 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

This site is located in the industrial peatlands of Clooneeny Bog. It was first recorded in the 2013 Reassessment Peatland Survey as severely machine-damaged roundwood and brushwood elements, visible on the field surface for 15m (Whitaker 2014). On excavation in 2014 (licence 14E0256) it was revealed to be a poorly preserved hurdle togher. A fragment of hazel was used for AMS dating and returned a result of cal. 164 BC-AD 51 (UBA 26559).

The hurdle togher was orientated N-S. Very little peat remained over the site, and it was underlain by moderately humified Sphagnum peat. The togher consisted of nine fragmentary E-W orientated sails, placed 0.12-0.2m apart, which had a maximum surviving length of 0.75m. A fairly dense arrangement of N-S orientated rods was found between the sails. The densest part of the site was contained within the N extent of the cutting, and measured 2.9m in length and 0.75-1.58m in width.
The sails from the hurdle togher were mainly identified as hazel, with one ash and one alder sample noted.

Compiled by: Tim Coughlan/Jane Whitaker/Femke Vleeshouwer

Date of upload: 25/02/2020

References

Whitaker, J. 2014 Re‐assessment Peatland Survey 2013, Blackwater, Boora, Derrydreenagh, Mountdillon Group of Bogs, County Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon. Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.

Coughlan, T. and Whitaker, J. 2017 Final excavation report for Clooneeny Bog, Co. Longford, Bord na Móna Peatland Archaeological Services 2014-2017. IAC Ltd on behalf of Bord na Móna.