2013:175 - LOUGH BANNOW BOG, Longford

A re-assessment field walking survey was carried out in Lough Bannow Bog in July 2013 on behalf of Bord na Móna (BnaM). The bog was previously referred to by BnM as Lough Bannow 1, 2, 3, and 4 (hence multiple licence numbers being issued although only 13E0219 was actually used). Lough Bannow 1, the southern extent of the bog, was also known as Corlea. The areas previously referred to as Lough Bannow 2 and 3 are north of the unclassified road that runs east-west towards Keenagh village while Lough Bannow 4 referred to the northern extent of the bog and is bounded on its northern extent by the R398 that runs north-eastwards from Derraghan. These numerical divisions are no longer in use by BnM but are included here to aid the description below of previous archaeological work carried out.

The southern extent of Lough Bannow (Lough Bannow 1/Corlea) was the focus for the excavations carried out by Barry Raftery in 1989 at which time five sites were excavated including the substantial transverse plank trackway known as Corlea (LF022-058001). The 1991 survey identified twelve sites in this part of the bog while the 1999 re-assessment survey identified two sites.

Lough Bannow 2, the western part of the centre of the bog, was surveyed in 1991 at which time forty-nine sites were identified. A re-assessment Survey carried out in 1999 identified thirty-four sites, eight of which were subsequently excavated by Noel Dunne on behalf of ADS Ltd as part of the 2000 BnM Mitigation project.

Lough Bannow 3, the eastern part of the centre of the bog, had eighteen sites when it was surveyed in 1991 by the IAWU (Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit). The BnM re-assessment survey carried out in 1999 identified 11 sites, 2 of which were subsequently excavated as part of the 2001 Mitigation project.

Lough Bannow 4 is the largest part of the bog. Thirty-nine sites were excavated in the north-eastern extent of the bog in Derryoghil townland by Barry Raftery in the 1980s. The 1991 Peatland Survey carried out by the IAWU identified eleven sites, two of which were subsequently excavated as part of the 2001 Mitigation project.

The 2013 re-assessment survey identified sixteen sites fifteen of which were located in the north-eastern extent in Derryoghil townland (Lough Bannow 4). The remaining site was located in Derryglogher townland (Lough Bannow 3). There were no sites recorded in the southern extent (Lough Bannow 1) or in the western extent (Lough Bannow 2).

The recorded sites were similar to those previously recorded in Derryoghil townland and were mainly east-west oriented roundwood and brushwood structures that were exposed on the field surface or in drain face sightings.