County: Westmeath Site name: Pallasboy, Toar
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 14E0289
Author: Jane Whitaker
Site type: Structure - Peatland
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 641128m, N 735562m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.368652, -7.382002
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 and surrounding WM-TOR055 consisted of poorly decomposed sphagnum pool peat. The excavated site consisted of a sparse arrangement of brushwood and roundwood with no apparent form or structure. The elements ranged in size from 0.02–0.07m in diameter and in length from 0.08–1.1m. A single flat faceted chisel point was the only evidence for woodworking noted. A date of 39 BC – AD 83 was returned from a piece of hazel brushwood. The underlying peat was similar to that above and around the elements and was composed of sphagnum pool peats with frequent eriophorum inclusions at the southern extent of the cutting.
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