County: Kerry Site name: Dromore
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0475
Author: Laurence Dunne, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, 3 Lios Na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 493669m, N 603657m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.174476, -9.554629
A possible bog trackway or platform had previously been identified during pre-development testing and was subsequently excavated in 2008. The site is situated in a marshy boggy environment designated for development in the townland of Dromore, at the northern limits of the village of Farranfore, Co. Kerry.
The feature was archaeologically resolved as a natural event. Essentially, a natural depression in the subsoil measuring 7m (north–south) by 4.8m by 0.9m in depth contained several preserved tree trunks, branches and roots in no discernible pattern, enclosed in a peat matrix. The timbers had accumulated over a long period of time, evidenced by the build-up of peat between them. No evidence of cut or toolmarks was present and none of the timbers had been deliberately placed so as to be construed as used in the context of a working or usable platform.
Several timbers were removed and put into temporary wet storage tanks for analysis and species identification. Preliminary visual inspection of the timbers suggests that oak and possibly ash or birch is represented. However, specialist analysis will need to confirm this. Bulk samples of the peat matrix surrounding the timbers were also retrieved.
No cut or toolmarks, stakes or any other evidence of anthropomorphic activity was recorded on any of the timbers at the site. Possible adze marks identified on one timber during the testing phase have been identified during archaeological resolution as ‘flares’ that naturally occur on oak. Ultimately, the feature was determined as non-archaeological in nature. It is a build-up of bog timbers in a shallow natural depression in a boggy, marshy field.
