County: Tipperary Site name: Ballybeg Bog, Ballybeg
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0398
Author: Nicola Rohan, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, 110 Amiens Street, Dublin 1.
Site type: Togher
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 619398m, N 653101m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.628790, -7.713464
A single cutting orientated north–south and measuring 3m by 4m was excavated over the site identified as a possible togher (TN-BLG017) during the Peatland Survey 2006. Excavation revealed that the site was a short togher composed of longitudinally laid oak planks with tightly packed and regularly laid roundwood transverses on the eastern side of the longitudinals. It was orientated north to south towards the dry land, which was located c. 50m north of the cutting. Sighting A, visible on the field surface 4.3m south of the cutting, indicated that the togher measured 13.5m in total length. The site, which was in a moderate state of preservation, was not visible beyond this sighting.
The composition of the togher varied on either side of a roughly central longitudinal plank (Timber 1) that ran for the length of the cutting and continued beyond the northern and southern baulks. The site was more densely and regularly laid on the eastern side of Timber 1. Here, the site was composed of tightly packed roundwood and brushwood transverses. Roundwoods measuring 0.4–1.4m in length and 0.06–0.18m in diameter were more commonly found in the northern half of the transverses. Brushwood was predominantly used on the southern side of the transverses. They measured 0.23–1.4m in length and 0.01–0.05m in diameter. The transverse elements were underlain by a layer of sand that measured 0.03m in depth, which was in turn underlain by a dense layer of twigs and randomly laid light brushwoods that measured 0.08–0.1m in depth. This would have provided a very stable and well-constructed surface.
Two parallel longitudinal planks (Timbers 2 and 3) were recorded on the western side of Timber 1. All three timbers were oak but Timber 1 was the most substantial. Ten worked ends with slightly concave facets were recorded within the cutting. Root and a small number of pieces of natural wood associated with the wood horizon found in this area were recorded within the cutting. The peat was composed of moderately humified sphagnum-rich peat with moderate ericaceous remains and occasional eriophorum inclusions. A section excavated at the northern end of the cutting revealed that the site lay 0.06–0.26m above the base of the bog in this area.
