2000:0619 - DERRYAD, Clooonfore, Longford

This site was evident in the course of the 1999 reassessment as a number of patches of tightly packed light brushwood and twigs, which were exposed over a quite large area in the domed centre of one milled field. The remains may have formed part of a platform that was located out on the bog and that measured at least 11m north–south by 6m. It is located close to the visible east-north-east end of togher site No. 618, Excavations 2000, and the function of the latter may have been to provide access to the platform.

Initial cleaning of the milled surface in 2000 showed that scrappy, degraded fragments of light brushwood and twigs were present over a considerable area in the centre of the field. Similar fragments uncovered in the excavation cutting were likely to be the remains of a hurdle. These elements ranged in diameter from 7.5mm to 32.5mm. Two possible sails were uncovered, one of which had a surviving length of 0.54m and was 0.03m in diameter. It was orientated north-west/south-east, and seven short lengths of rods were positioned at right angles, running either over or under the sail. The rods had diameters of 10–20mm. Two possible pegs were located closeby, to the south-west.

Unfortunately, the junction with the possible access togher (Excavations 2000, No. 618), if such originally existed, no longer survives owing to the milling operations. The cambered profile of the surface of the milled field has probably resulted in the truncation of the western side of the present brushwood/twig spread, and the surface of the milled field immediately to the west is at an even lower level.

Reference:
Whitaker, J. and Dunne, N. 2019. Final Excavation Report for Derryad Bog (Licences: 00E0516-00E0522), Irish Archaeological Consultancy, Ltd., 2019. Unpublished report prepared by IAC Archaeology.

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