County: Longford Site name: DERRYAD, Cloonfore
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0522
Author: Noel Dunne, ADS Ltd.
Site type: Road - class 2 togher and Platform - peatland
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 605196m, N 768546m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.666643, -7.921361
Prior to excavation, this site was evident as a togher that extended for a visible distance of 11.5m across the domed centre of a milled field. The togher was orientated north-west/south-east and is likely to have been more extensive before the present Bord na Móna milling operations. The excavation showed that the site had an original width of 1.1m and was constructed mainly with closely set, longitudinal light and heavy brushwood. A small number of light brushwood transverses were also present. Six main longitudinal elements formed the framework of the site and were positioned at regular intervals of 0.12–0.35m. The higher, north-west end and the north-east side of the togher were in a more degraded condition owing to the milling operations. The fragmentary north-west end overlay the remains of a band of closely set, light brushwood and twigs that was orientated west-north-west/east-south-east.
A triangular area of densely set, light brushwood and twigs slightly overlay the south-west edge of the togher and extended to the south-west. The elements were orientated west-north-west/east-south-east to east–west. Excavation showed that the overall feature consisted of three separate bundles that were laid down mainly to the side of the track for some reason, possibly to cover a particularly wet patch. The bundles rested on some light brushwood transverses, and the middle one was held in position by two slanting pegs or pins.
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 Unpublished report prepared by IAC Archaeology.
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