Road - class 1 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

A togher (L 435m; Wth 2.1m; D 0.24m), noted in 1989, consisted of a superstructure of longitudinal roundwood and brushwood, supported by a substructure of transverse roundwood and longitudinal brushwood and roundwood. The orientation was NE-SW. Some pegs were apparent and a chert flake was found on the surface. Radiocarbon dating revealed a date range of 3362-3369 BC (4680±125 BP, GrN-16831). When inspected in 1999 a transverse superstructure (L 480m; Wth 2.5m) extended across 31 fields. The upper surface was generally constructed of closely laid transverse planks (L 1.2-2.4m; Wth 0.13-0.3m; T 0.06-0.1m) and roundwood (diam. 0.06-0.14m) but also included transverse brushwood (diam. 0.01-0.05m). These elements were orientated NW-SE to NNW-SSE and rested on a substructure of longitudinal roundwood runners (diam. 0.06-0.18m) that extended NE-SW to ENE-WSW. Almost the entire remains were located on the field surface and most of the structure was badly degraded due to milling. It was, however, evident in section in the drain face at a number of locations. In places the surface of the transverse planks was milled, while the original woodworking on the ends was still largely intact. Some of the brushwood had worked chisel-point ends. A flat stone (0.19 x 0.15 x 0.04m) was incorporated into the surface of the track at one point. Quantities of hazelnut shells were present in places between the elements. (Raftery 1990, 11-12; 1996, Corlea 9, 81-91; Dunne 1999, 9, 99LBW0022A-W)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney based on data supplied by the former Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit, University College, Dublin, and the Archaeological Development Services.

Date of upload: 26 August 2011