County: Offaly Site name: CLONEARL BOG, Old Croghan
Sites and Monuments Record No.: OF010-487 Licence number: 04E1178 and 04R133
Author: Jacinta Kiely, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Burial
Period/Dating: Iron Age (800 BC-AD 339)
ITM: E 646523m, N 731511m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.331801, -7.301537
Drainage of Clonearl Bog in advance of commercial development commenced some twenty years ago. During recutting of drains in the bog in May 2003, a bog body (NMI 2003:14) was discovered. Preliminary examination was undertaken by Catríona Moore and Conor McDermott of IAWU (Excavations 2003, No. 1533, 03E0772), at which time three fingernails and a fragment of possible withy were recovered.
In 2004, Eachtra carried out an excavation of the findspot of the bog body on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland. The area of excavation measured 9m north-south by 6.6m. A depth of c. 0.7m of peat on the north and south sides of the drain in which the body was found was removed by machine under supervision. All of the peat was metal-detected. A trench, 3.4m north-south by 4m, was excavated by hand in the area of the findspot. A small cavity (0.2m wide by 0.27m long by 0.09m high) was recorded in the northern face of the drain that may indicate the original location of the body. Three further fingernails were recovered 0.03m east of the cavity and a length of withy extending from the east side of the cavity into the base of the drain. The withy had been truncated by recutting of the drain. All of the peat from the area of the trench was further examined by hand and metal-detected.
Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork
