2013:069 - KILLADERRY, Gowla Bog, Galway

This site was excavated as part of the 2011 BnM Mitigation Project. Two cuttings one at the location of sites GA-GLA015, CLA16a, GLA17 and GLA18 and the second at GA-GLA016c identified during the course of the 2007 Peatland Survey carried out by ADS Ltd were excavated.

Initially two separate licences were applied for the excavation of sites GA-GLA016a-c and 18a however while preparing Cutting 1 under this licence (GA-GLS016a) it appeared that there was an almost continuous line of archaeological wood exposed in the drain face between GA-GLA015a, 16a, 17a and 18a. It was decided to orientate a single long cutting (Cutting 1) measuring 11m in length along the drain edge to investigate the potential relationships between these sites.

Excavation of this cutting revealed two hurdle panels and a large spread of irregularly placed brushwood and light roundwood overlying ten east-west oriented roundwoods. These appear to form part of a single structure although its actual orientation and function remain unclear.

Cutting 2 measured 4m by 5m and was placed over the sighting recorded in 2008 as GA-GLA016c which was identified at that time in the drain face, 0.62m below the field surface. The togher was described as being more substantial and significantly wider than the 16a and b at this sighting. It was composed of moderately preserved regularly laid longitudinal brushwood underlain by two longitudinal roundwood elements. The brushwood was less densely laid in the centre of the sighting possibly indicating that the southern side may have been a separate platform structure associated with the togher.