2014:279 - Montrath, Toar Bog, Westmeath

Toar Bog was initially surveyed by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit during the 2000 Archaeological Survey of Ireland Peatland Survey. In 2005 and 2006 33 sites were excavated under 25 licences by the author. A re-assessment survey of Toar Bog was carried out in 2013 and subsequently a further 19 sites were proposed for excavation in 2014 as part of the Bord na Móna Mitigation Project in the townlands of Killavally, Pallasboy, Montrath and Rathgarrett.
The peat overlying WM-TOR060 was a maximum of 0.11m deep and was composed of moderately humified sphagnum peat with occasional eriophorum, menanythes and calluna inclusions. The excavated site consisted of a north–south oriented hurdle togher. Composed of east–west oriented sails that ranged in diameter from 28–43mm with a maximum length of 2.06m with north–south oriented woven rods. The rods were tightly packed and were 15–34mm in diameter and 2.7m in maximum length forming a surface 1.1m in maximum width. The sails were regularly placed, 0.4-0.6m apart and occurred singly and in pairs in places. Eighteen worked ends were noted, all of which were simple chisel points with slightly concave facets. A date of 1210-1022BC was obtained from a piece of ash brushwood. Site WM-TOR062 (14E0292) was located 9m to the south-east on the same field surface. The underlying peat was strongly humified sphagnum peat with frequent phragmities, moderate menanythes and eriophorum inclusions.

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