2010:616 - Longfordpass Bog, Kilmakill and Longfordpass North, Tipperary

During the 2006 Peatland Survey this substantial oak-plank and gravel trackway was visible on the field surface and in the drain faces, at 30 sightings across the narrowest section of Longfordpass Bog. The site was located at the northern end of the bog, was orientated north-west/south-east and ran parallel to the modern road. From the drain face inspections at the time it was believed that the trackway was composed mainly of transversely laid planks secured, in places, by pegs with underlying longitudinal roundwood runners. Many sightings also had an underlying layer of sand and gravel, which could also be found between and occasionally over the elements. The composition appeared consistent along the length of the trackway and the level of preservation varied depending on the site’s location on the field surface or within the peat. The site had been mostly milled-out in the eastern extent and all that remained were the lower levels of the trackway. The transverse elements were orientated north-north-east/south-south-west and the longitudinal runners, where present, were orientated west-north-west/east-south-east. Bog butter was recovered to the north-east of TI-LFP001z at a similar level in the bog. The proximity of the bog butter to the trackway and the fact that they were found at similar levels in the bog would suggest that they are broadly contemporary in date.
The site was excavated in five cuttings which revealed it to be complex and multi-layered; it had two main construction phases with frequent repairs/additions throughout its use. It measured 1.2–5.3m in width, 0.1–0.6m in depth and was over 525m in length. It appears that the first phase consisted of a closely spaced transversly laid plank walking surface that overlay a simple substructure of longitudinal planks, roundwoods and haphazardly laid elements. Between these two layers was a packing layer of sand, gravel and fulacht material. The final construction phase also consisted of mainly transversly laid planks, which were supported by longitudinal runners above and below with occurrences of sand, fine gravel and stone packing in places with stablising pegs along each side of the trackway. In most of the cuttings excavated, this layer was also repaired in places with longitudinally laid planks.

Please see final report:
Whitaker, J. 2021. Final Excavation Report for Longfordpass Bog (Licences: 10E0330, 10E0331, 10E0332, 10E0333), Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd., 2019. Unpublished report prepared by IAC Archaeology.