Road - road/trackway

The National Monuments Service's description

The site (L 750m min.; Wth 4.2m; D 1.71m) is orientated NNE-SSW. It consists of re-deposited boulder clay, large flagstones, split timbers, roundwoods and brushwood deposited over five phases of construction. A portion of the site was excavated by E. O'Carroll in 1996 (96E151). The earliest structure, Phase I, consists of a longitudinal plank walkway (Wth 1m; D 0.52m) that was dendrochronologically dated to AD 653±9 (Q9281). Phase II consists of a compact layer (Wth 3.4m; D 0.4m) of re-deposited boulder clay with a cobbled surface and large cobbles forming a kerb at the edges. The boulder clay consists of coarse sand, pebbles and round stones. Phase III is a substantial wooden structure (Wth 4.2m; D 0.25-0.3m) that has a substructure of roundwoods and brushwood overlain by a superstructure of split oak planks. There are large amounts of brushwood and some roundwoods located above and below the planks. The edges are defined by two heavy roundwoods and a double row of posts. This phase has been dendrochronologically dated to AD 1158-9 (Q9282). An upcast timber, presumably from the same layer, produced a dendrochronologically dated of AD 1212±9 (Q9254). Phase IV is preceded by a layer of Sphagnum peat, 0.17m deep, which may indicate the abandonment of the route for a period of time. This phase consists of another layer (Wth 2.6m; D 0.12m) of re-deposited boulder clay incorporating clay, coarse sand, pebbles, stones and some degraded brushwood. Phase V, the final phase, consists of a layer (Wth 2.16m; D 0.2m) of large, flat sandstone flags. (O'Carroll, E. 2001, 29-32)

Compiled by: Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (University College Dublin).

Date of upload: 23 May 2011

References

O'Carroll, E. 2001 The archaeology of Lemanaghan – the story of an Irish bog. Bray. Wordwell.

O'Carroll, E. 1996 Preliminary Excavation Report, Licence no. 96E151 of a multiphased togher dating from AD653 to AD 1212 in Lemanaghan townland, Co. Offaly. Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit, University College Dublin & Office of Public Works.