County: Offaly Site name: CLONAD (OF-CLO0009)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: OF018-086 Licence number: 04E0726
Author: Eoin Corcoran, Archaeological Development Services Ltd.
Site type: Road - class 2 togher
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 647124m, N 723899m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.263349, -7.293647
This site was recorded by the IAWU in 2001 as a secondary togher orientated from north-east to southwest and identified at two sightings, one on the field surface and the other in the opposing drain face (IAWU 2002). The north-eastern extent was recorded as being 0.66m below the field surface and consisting of half-split timbers and occasional mixed brushwood, with pegs noted on the field surface. One cutting was excavated over each sighting of OFCL00009. Both cuttings measured 5m by 3m.
This site appeared to be a short length of trackway orientated from east-north-east to west-south-west across the bog from the dry land to the north-east. Unfortunately, this site had been badly damaged and the different field heights in this area suggest that the site may have been destroyed in adjacent fields.
The fact that in Cutting 1, which was on a high field, the track only runs for some 3.4m may reflect highly localised peat conditions (i.e. that this was a particularly wet area of bog), while slightly further to the east-north-east the bog was drier and did not require a wooden walking surface.
The proximity of this site to OF-CL00004 (No. 1389, Exacations 2004) and the fact that they follow roughly the same orientation suggests a possible relationship between them. It is hoped that further analysis of the types of wood used and dating evidence will help to interpret this site in relation to the other activity on the bog.
References
IAWU 2002 Archaeological survey report: Clonad Bog, Co. Offaly. Unpublished report commissioned by Dúchas, the Heritage Service.
Whitaker, J. and Corcoran, E. 2020. Final Excavation Report for Clonad Bog, Co. Offaly (Licences: 04E0722- 04E0729), Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd., 2019. Unpublished report prepared by IAC Archaeology.
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