County: Donegal Site name: CROAGHONAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 86:2 Licence number: 05E1152
Author: Sinclair Turrell, ADS Ltd, Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 607526m, N 888941m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.748438, -7.883103
Test excavation was conducted at this site in advance of the proposed N15 Ballybofey–Stranorlar bypass. This site is located within the zone of archaeological potential of a destroyed megalithic tomb and standing stones, depicted on the second edition of the OS map as a ‘Giant’s Bed’. Though there are no standing remains of the monument, an oval mound to the east of the site may be associated with it.
Seven trenches were excavated across the site using a mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless bucket. Concentrations of bog-fir were noted to the north-west of the site. Occasional small deposits of charcoal were found around these deposits. These features were consistent with slash-and-burn field clearance activity of unknown date. No evidence of either a megalithic tomb or standing stones was discovered in the test-trenches. Nothing of archaeological significance was found within the limits of the test excavation.
