County: Westmeath Site name: Montrath, Toar Bog
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 14E0292
Author: Jane Whitaker
Site type: Structure - Peatland
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 643016m, N 734913m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.362671, -7.353729
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.
WM-TOR062 was machine-damaged from field surface exposure but the fragmentary remains consisted of closely placed, mainly north–south oriented brushwood, 0.02–0.04m in diameter with a maximum surviving length of 0.9m covering an area 0.84–2.22m in width. A total of eight worked ends were noted all of which were simple chisel points with slightly concave facets. Occasional east–west elements were noted and it is possible that this site represented the remains of a hurdle similar to that excavated under licence 14E0291 (WM-TOR060) 9m to the north-west. A date of 1107–923 BC was returned from a piece of ash brushwood.
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