2008:1018 - Ballybeg Bog, Toberdaly and Clonin, Offaly

Testing was carried out in Toberdaly and Clonin townlands in Ballybeg Bog, Co. Offaly, on 22–26 September 2008. A stone enclosure (OF011–060) and stone-lined hearths (OF011–059) were initially identified during a survey by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit in 2001, when they were recorded as a barrow and prehistoric habitation site. The sites, which are located 15m apart, were partially excavated by Ellen O’Carroll (formerly of ADS Ltd) at the site, in 2002. The area subject to testing, in 2008, was located on a Bord na Móna production field between the two sites. This central production field was not investigated at the time of excavation but the northern drain face was cleaned and charcoal and stones were recorded within the section. The site has been set aside from production since 2002; however, Bord na Móna wished to establish the full extent of the site in order to put an appropriate programme of works in place. The purpose of the testing was to determine the full extent of the archaeological features/activity at the site. The licence was re-activated and transferred in September 2008. A total of five trenches were excavated by hand to archaeological levels.
Archaeological features were recorded in three of the five trenches and were composed of charcoal spreads and charcoal and stone features. The archaeological activity was orientated north-west/south-east over three production fields and measured 45m in length and a minimum of 35m in width. A total of seventeen flint lithics were recorded and recovered from three of the trenches. The radiocarbon dates obtained after the survey and the excavation indicate that the site, as a whole, dates to between 4220 and 2300 bc.