County: Tipperary Site name: BallyBeg Bog, Ballybeg
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0394
Author: Nicola Rohan, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, 110 Amiens Street, Dublin 1.
Site type: Possible togher
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 619423m, N 652845m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.626489, -7.713110
This possible togher was one of eight sites excavated in Ballybeg Bog as part of the 2008 Bord na Móna archaeological mitigation programme. The site was located in the centre of the bog, within a cluster of sites, and was orientated north–south. A single cutting orientated north–south and measuring 3m in width by 4m in length was excavated over the site, which was identified as archaeological wood (TN-BLG002) during the Peatland Survey 2006 and was subsequently dated to 99569 bc. Excavation revealed that the site was composed of moderately well-preserved densely laid longitudinal planks with parallel roundwoods and brushwoods laid on the eastern side of the planks. The elements were regularly laid and the site had a similar morphology to a typical plank trackway, with nine oak timbers recorded in all. The site measured 0.5m in depth and 1.4–2.35m in width. Two trenches excavated parallel to and north of the cutting revealed that the site is 7.2m in length.
The peat was composed of poorly humified sphagnum-rich peat with occasional eriophorum and calluna inclusions. The peat in the south-east corner and for 1m at the northern side of the cutting was composed of Sphagnum cuspidatum with occasional Menyanthes trifoliate.
