2000:0631 - LOUGH BANNOW 2, Corlea, Longford

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Longford Site name: LOUGH BANNOW 2, Corlea

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0459

Author: Noel Dunne, ADS Ltd.

Site type: Road - class 3 togher

Period/Dating: Undetermined

ITM: E 609708m, N 763645m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.622537, -7.853240

The primary togher excavated under this licence was constructed with longitudinal twigs and light brushwood, arranged in a shallow band 0.5–0.8m wide and orientated north-east/south-west. The sighting on the opposite side of the drain to the excavation and recorded in the course of the 1999 reassessment was also constructed with longitudinal twigs and light brushwood, but here single longitudinal, heavy brushwood formed both sides of the feature, with a similar longitudinal element placed in between. The removal of fill from a disturbed band accidentally uncovered a new, separate togher underneath. Following on from the numbering sequence used during 1999, this new site was numbered 36A.

A layer of peat, 0.2–0.25m deep, was sandwiched between both toghers, and numerous pine cones were preserved in the lower levels of that peat and scattered on the surface of the underlying site. The latter was 3.55m wide and orientated north-east/south-west to north-north-east/south-south-west. It contained a central band of longitudinal light brushwood and twigs, 1.15m wide. On the north-west side were four main, spaced roundwood and brushwood longitudinals, together with other transverse and longitudinal roundwoods, brushwood and twigs.

Underlying the central band and extending for 1.25m to the south-east were up to fourteen roundwood and brushwood transverses. This area also included some irregularly placed light/heavy brushwood and roundwoods. Up to seven posts or pegs used to contain the site were also uncovered. One displayed a compacted tip and marked buckling along its length from having been driven into the bog. Both toghers extended towards the southern slope of an east–west ridge, located immediately to the north-east of the excavated area.

Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3