Road - class 1 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

This substantial togher (L 570m) was visible at thirty-three sightings on the field surface and in the drain faces up to 0.55m below the field surface. It was orientated NW-SE across a relatively narrow section (Wth c. 1km) in the centre of Cloonshannagh Bog, connecting Caul at the NW with a low NE-SW ridge in Cloonmore at the SE end. This ridge has the early church site of Cloonmore (RO030-004001-) c. 650m SW of where the togher would reach the dry land at the N end of the ridge.

The togher was recorded in 2008 as CLS005a-gg (Rohan 2009) then excavated in 2010 under licence number 10E0250 (Rohan & Whitaker 2013) at sightings ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘p’ and ‘z’. In 2015 the site was excavated in three more locations at sightings ‘j’, ‘v’ and ‘aa’ in 2015 (Coughlan & Whitaker 2019).

The excavation in 2015 was carried out under licence 15E0190. Three cuttings were opened. In the first cutting, the trackway was composed of eight roundwood and brushwood construction layers, along with an additional two deposits and spreads of packing material. Many toolmarked ends were noted. Pieces of a wooden vessel were found, as well as a turned wooden artefact. Samples taken gave a radiocarbon date of cal. AD 8-127, as well as an additional dendrochronological date of 93 ± 9 BC.
The second cutting showed an upper surface of transverse roundwoods, measuring 4.5-5.7m in width. A second brushwood and roundwood layer supported the upper surface. The basal layer in the cutting was composed of two substantial, longitudinally laid roundwoods. An area of densely laid roundwood and brushwood was located at the S extent. Toolmarked ends, pegs, and artefacts were noted, amongst which a possible figurine and a possible dressed rod.
In cutting 3, the upper surface of the trackway was 1.9-3.48m in width and consisted of substantial, transversely laid, split roundwood timbers with occasional brushwoods in between. The substructure was composed of irregularly shaped longitudinal half split and roundwood runners, with short lengths of transverse roundwood, split roundwood and brushwood in between them. Some pegs were recovered and toolmarked ends were noted. Two worked pieces of wood/possible artefacts were recovered from a mixed brushwood and roundwood material to the south of the longitudinal runners. This part of the site was dated cal. 165-4 BC (Coughlan and Whitaker 2019).

Compiled by: Michael Moore/Ros O Maoldúin, Edited by Femke Vleeshouwer, 16 April 2020

Date of upload: 12th April, 2011.

References

Coughlan, T & Whitaker, J 2019 Final excavation report Cloonshannagh Bog, Co Roscommon. Bord na Mona Peatland Archaeological Services 2014-2017. Unpublished report submitted to DOEHLG & BnM

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.

Rohan, N, & Whitaker J. 2013 Preliminary Excavation Report on Excavations in Caul, Cloonmore and Cloonshannagh Townlands, Cloonshannagh Bog, Co Roscommon. Unpublished report submitted to DOEHLG & BNM.