2015:300 - Baunmore, Bruckana, Co. Kilkenny & Killoran, Co. Tipperary, Kilkenny

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Kilkenny Site name: Baunmore, Bruckana, Co. Kilkenny & Killoran, Co. Tipperary

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 15E0296

Author: CaitrĂ­ona Moore

Site type: Sites within peatland

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 620776m, N 666491m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.749090, -7.692263

A peatland survey was carried out at Lisheen III Wind farm in advance of wind turbine construction and ancillary works. The survey area comprised Bord na Móna cutover bog in townlands Baunmore and Bruckana, Co. Kilkenny and Killoran, Co. Tipperary. The bog is cut by north-north-east/south-south-west orientated drains spaced an average of 15m apart. This area is considered to be of high archaeological potential and previous excavations in the area have identified numerous sites including toghers, fulachtaí fia, platforms and structures.

The survey identified 10 archaeological sightings representing five individual archaeological sites. The sites identified consist of a Road – class 1 togher, a Road – class 3 togher and three sites classified as Structure – peatland. All of the sites occur at a narrow point between two dryland spurs, Derrygreenagh to the east and Killoran to the west. The two toghers are located in Baunmore, Co. Kilkenny in the south-eastern part of the area surveyed, in the vicinity of several previously known archaeological sites. Based on the available data neither of the sites identified in Baunmore appear to be any of those previously known. The Road – class 1 togher (15LIS01a-e) is a substantial site of planks, roundwoods and limestone flags traced for 65 m running east-north-east/west-south-west. Most of the sightings lie on the field surface and have been damaged by milling and exposure. Its easternmost sighting lies in the drain face of an old ridge field beyond which lie the bog margins. This area is heavily overgrown and while the site could not be traced within it at the time of survey, there is a possibility that it survives and may extend onto the nearby dryland. The westernmost sighting lies within a high ridge field beyond which the Bord na Móna fields are significantly lower and contain exposed natural wood horizons. The site may extend further to the west, obscured by the natural wood horizon, however it may have been removed by milling in this area. A fragment of an oak roundwood from the site has been radiocarbon dated to 3907-3652 cal BC (4961±39 BP; UBA30524), placing the construction of the site in the Early Neolithic period.

The road – class 3 togher (15LIS06a-b) was identified in two locations 0-0.2m below the field surface. It was composed of light brushwood and orientated east-north-east/west-south-west, parallel to the Road – class 1 togher which lay 0.6m to its south.

The three sites classified as Structure – peatland (15LIS02, 15LIS04 and 15LIS05) lie within Killoran, Co. Tipperary. Two comprise small settings of parallel brushwood and roundwoods recorded in drain faces while the third lay on the field surface and consisted only of a scatter of wood and gravel within which was recorded a possible stone toolmark.

This survey has increased the number of archaeological sites in the bog and has demonstrated the continued archaeological potential of the area and the value of repeat survey in industrial peatlands.