2001:1085 - DAINGEAN BOG, Ballylennon/Barnaboy/ Rathdrum, Offaly

Daingean Bog was surveyed on behalf of Dúchas as part of the Peatland Survey 2001. The bog covers an area of 760ha and is situated west of Kilclonfert and 3km north-west of Daingean. It is divided into a southern part in County Offaly and a northern part in counties Offaly and Westmeath. The northern part is in commercial milled peat production operated by Bord na Móna and the southern part has been drained in advance of production. No archaeological sites were recorded in the northern part of the bog. In the southern part of the bog 354 archaeological sites and finds were identified, forming distinct northern and southern distributions.

The northern distribution consists of 142 sites forming a band across the bog. Almost all of these sites are small deposits of brushwood with some roundwoods, and only one site is classified as a togher. The sites range in date from late Iron Age to modern. A number of shoe fragments and miscellaneous wooden artefacts were recovered amongst the assemblage. This includes a fine single-piece wooden vessel with associated lid (see No. 1087, Excavations 2001, 01E0841).

The southern distribution comprises 212 sites. These are generally more substantial than those to the north and also included a number of toghers. The majority consist of small dense deposits of brushwood and roundwoods and a number of short toghers. The peat records indicate that some of the sites may have been laid down in particularly wet areas. Four toghers cross most of the width of the bog. These consist of three plank walkways dating from AD 544 to AD 816 ± 9 or later and a large multi-layered site of brushwood, planks and gravel dating from the first half of the 13th century. A number of leather shoe fragments were also recovered in this area.

Department of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4