County: Longford Site name: LF-CNY001 Clooneeny Bog
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 14E0257
Author: Tim Coughlan
Site type: Class 3 Togher Road
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 610042m, N 773422m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.710386, -7.847890
Clooneeny Bog was initially surveyed by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit in 1991 at which point 19 sites were recorded. Of these 15 are currently listed as ‘redundant records’ in the Archaeological Survey of Ireland records. The remaining four are recorded as two post rows in the northern extent of the bog and two Road – Class 3 Toghers in the north-western extent. A re-assessment survey of Clooneeny Bog was carried out in 2013 which recorded four sites. Of these, two sites - CNY001 and CNY002 - were proposed for excavation in 2014 as part of the Bord na Móna Mitigation Project in the townland of Clooneeny.
This site, CNY001, was visible in the drain face 0.39m below the field surface. A single cutting measuring 3.5m x 5m was excavated along the drain edge sighting of the site. The overlying peat was a maximum of 0.2m deep and was poorly humified (H2+) with sphagnum, eriophorum and calluna inclusions.
The site was composed of closely placed north-south oriented roundwood elements that ranged from 0.01m to 0.1m in diameter and were laid a maximum of two elements deep. The elements had a maximum surviving length of 1.08m and did not extend into the full length of the cutting. The site was a maximum of 1.35m in width and 1.84m in surviving length. Some elements were visible in section in the opposing (western) drain face but no further sightings were located. It is possible therefore that the site represents the last remains of a short togher or possible platform. Some worked ends were noted with concave toolmarks that ranged in width from 25–44mm and 33–79mm in length. Four wood fragments were identified from the Class 3 togher/platform. Three roundwoods were identified as alder and cherry and one brushwood as oak. A degraded chisel pointed end was recorded from the cherry roundwood. The wood measured between 100mm and 51mm in diameter and contained between 35 and 25 annual tree rings.
A date of 1208–946 BC was returned from a piece of alder.
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