2014:295 - Pallasboy, 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-TOR015a was poorly humified sphagnum peat with inclusions of menanythes, phragmities and patches of eriophorum. This togher site was composed of two distinct wood layers separated by a layer of peat. The upper surface was composed of a haphazard arrangement of fragmentary brushwood and occasional roundwood elements forming a surface 1.2–2.8m in width. The elements ranged in size from 0.02–0.06m in diameter and 0.05–1.1m in length. The site was thought to represent the lower level remains of a north-east/–south-west oriented togher but during sampling it was noted that further elements were located beneath a layer of pool peat. This lower layer of wood was similar in construction to the layer above but was composed of more densely laid elements that formed a surface 1.15–2.3m in width. The elements were in fairly good condition and ranged in size from 0.01–0.17m in diameter and 0.09–0.49m in length. Several worked ends were noted the majority of which were chisel point ends with simple flat facets. The underlying peat was composed of poorly humified pool peats with occasional patches of eriophorum throughout. A date of AD 1297–1402 was returned from a piece of birch roundwood.

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