2006:1757 - Toberrory, Roscommon

Planning permission was granted for a four-bay slatted shed in Toberrory Rathcrogan, Tulsk. The site is on the north-east slope of the ridge on which the Rathcroghan archaeological complex stands. A medium-sized excavator with a 2m-wide bucket was used to strip an area 25m by 17m for the slatted shed, a strip 10m by 6m for access to the cattle crush which extends about 22m in from the roadside, an area of about 6m in diameter for a soak hole for the storm water from the building, and the linking ground, 2m wide by about 12m long, for ducting between the shed and the soak hole.
The top sod and soil, totalling 0.15–0.2m, was stripped and removed from the required area. The soil down to the undisturbed natural, which was reached at 0.3–0.35m, was then stripped off. The surface of the limestone, while irregular, was continuous. Rainwater easily percolates down through the narrow cracks. The top 0.7m of the rock at the southern end and somewhat less at the northern end broke off reasonably easily. The next layer down required a rock breaker to get down to the required depth of almost 3m.
There were no finds of any type, with the exception of a tiny fragment of gold-coloured flint at 180606 284523. The flint, a struck waste flake with a bulb of percussion, measures 16mm by 11mm by 2mm.
The required area for the development was 6m north of an eroded earthen bank, now spread to 2m and eroded to about 0.7m maximum height; there is a parallel bank about 40m further south. Between these banks are two intriguing pits that are a feature of this part of central north Roscommon. Two long closely set parallel pits are at right angles to and between two earthen banks. These were outside of the required area so were not further investigated.
Martin A. Timoney, Bóthar an Chorainn, Keash, Co. Sligo.