County: Offaly Site name: CLONDELARA/CLONFINLOUGH/CLONIFFEEN/ CLONIFF/CLONMACNOISE/CLORHANE/CREEVAGH/ CURRAGHMORE/DERRYHASK/DERRYLAHAN/ GURRAWIRRA/LEITRA/AGHRA/TULLAGHBEG, BLAC
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E0402
Author: Nicola Rohan, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Unit D, Kells Business Park, Cavan Road, Kells, Co. Meath.
Site type: Peatland survey
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 599850m, N 726588m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.289605, -8.002236
The Re-assessment Survey 2009 included Blackwater, Ballaghurt, Bloomhill, Clooniff, Garryduff and Kilmacshane Bogs, which are part of the Bord na M)na (BnM) Blackwater group of bogs. The Blackwater group of bogs was initially surveyed by the IAWU in 1992 and 1993. The objective of the Re-assessment Survey was to re-identify any surviving previously recorded sites, identify new sites and subsequently record all archaeological sites identified during the course of survey. Blackwater Bog is located 0.5km south-east of Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly. It is one of the largest bogs in the BnM Blackwater group and has a total area of 2626ha. Approximately 50% of the bog was cutaway, with the remaining 50% in production at the time of survey. The cutaway areas were milled down to basal marl, early tree horizons, covered with vegetation, planted with forestry or flooded to provide a habitat for wildfowl.
A total of 26 sites, previously recorded during the first-round survey of Blackwater Bog in 1992, were lodged in the records of the Archaeological Survey of Ireland. The findspots of many of these sites were milled out or overgrown.
No new archaeological sites were uncovered and no previously recorded archaeological sites were reidentified in Blackwater Bog during the reassessment survey.
