2013:096 - Derrynabuntale/Gorteenclareen, Edera Bog, Longford

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Longford Site name: Derrynabuntale/Gorteenclareen, Edera Bog

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E0212

Author: Jane Whitaker

Site type: Peatland

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 611104m, N 757138m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.564028, -7.832391

This site was excavated during the 2012 Bord na Móna Mitigation season. Four cuttings were excavated along the line of a plank trackway that was visible in the drain face and on the field surface at 25 sightings. It was orientated east-north-east/west-south-west for a minimum of 420m and ran south of and parallel to LF-EDR001 (12E0211?), across the southern side of Edera Bog Proper. The composition of the togher was recorded during the survey as being varied along its length but included longitudinally laid planks, roundwood and brushwood elements that were both under- and overlain by transversely laid planks, roundwood and brushwood. Pegs were recorded at some of the sightings. This site was recorded during the course of the 2007 Peatland Survey carried out by ADS Ltd and it was noted that many of the sightings had no observable definite structure.

Excavation revealed that the upper plank no longer remained in situ in any of the cuttings. The transverse roundwood, timbers and pegs which were excavated were consistent with the sub-structural elements of single plank trackways excavated throughout the midlands. The upper planks appear to have been removed in antiquity as all of the cuttings had enough peat cover for them not to have been removed by the milling process. While the wood was in general in poor condition it is unlikely that the planks completely degraded leaving only the sub-structural remains. It is possible that the trackway was in use for a relatively short period of time and that the planks were re-used elsewhere in the bog or its environs.

ADS ltd, Unit 4 The Printhouse, 22-23 South Cumberland Street, Dublin 2