2014:275 - Barnaboy, Daingean South Bog, Co Offaly, Offaly

Daingean South Bog was surveyed by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (IAWU) during the 2001 Archaeological Survey of Ireland Peatland Survey. In 2004 seven sites were excavated by Sinclair Turrell as part of the Bord na Mona Mitigation Project. A Re-Assessment survey was carried out on behalf of Bord na Mona in 2013 by the author under licence 13E0230 and subsequently twelve sites were excavated in August 2014 by IAC Ltd during the 2014-2017 BnM Mitigation Project.
A 2 x 3m cutting was excavated at OF-DAS029. There was little to no overlying peat as the elements were mostly exposed on the field surface. The peat directly associated with the excavated elements was moderately humified sphagnum peat with frequent patches of fibrous plant matter and calluna with occasional eriophorum inclusions. The excavated site consisted of two northwest-southeast oriented roundwoods with a concentration of east-west associated brushwood elements. The elements were in poor condition having been mostly exposed on the field surface. The roundwood was a maximum of 0.07 in diameter and 1.90 in length while the brushwood averaged 0.03m in diameter and had a maximum length of 1.05m. The site had not real discernible structure and was contained within an area measuring 1.71 x 2.76m in size. Three chisel point worked ends were noted with flat facets. A date of AD 423–554 was obtained from a piece of hazel brushwood. The underlying peat was poorly humified mossy sphagnum peat.

IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow