Booley hut in Edergole (lough Eask Ed)

A report by Emmet Byrnes, archaeologist with the Forestry Service in 2003 documents the preliminary archaeological assessment of a number recently discovered archaeological/historical sites in Coillte Teoranta's forestry plantation in Edergole townland, near Lough Eske, Co. Donegal. Coillte Teoranta's Regional Environmental Manager, Mr. John Williams, identified the first of the sites during the course of a clear-fell operation in Autumn 2003. The sites were then inspected by Coillte Teoranta's Consultant Archaeologist, Mr. Michael Cox, who laid out a series of exclusion zones for the re-planting operation. However, following the completion of the entire clear-fell operation a number of additional features were revealed that Mr. Williams suspected to also be of significance. These features were notified to the National Monuments Section, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DoEHLG), and the Forest Service Archaeologist, Emmet Byrnes, agreed to inspect the site on 26th November 2003 and make a preliminary assessment. The forestry plantation at Edergole is located approximately 9km northeast of Donegal town. It is situated on steeply sloping ground, along the lower western side of the Corraber River valley. The overall natural drainage pattern is towards the southeast into the Corraber River, and there are a number of small springs and streams dotted across the site, meandering down slope. The solid geology (parent material) of the area is Lower Avonian shales and sandstone, carboniferous slate and calciferous sandstone and the soils are peaty and peaty gleys. Prior to the clear-fell operation there were only two small farmsteads recorded on the OS 6 inch and 25 inch maps within the area of the forestry, one to the north of the plantation and one in the centre. Neither of these farmsteads is listed in the Record of Monuments and Places for County Donegal. The subsequent inspection of the site revealed a third totally unrecorded 18th / 19th century farmstead (DG085-006003-), with ancillary buildings and features such as a byre and limekiln. In addition to this there were also a number of other structures all sited on a north-south orientated ridge upon which the central farmstead is located. The structures include two conjoined turf: built cottages, a `garraí' or garden plot, seven small clearance cairns and at least two, if not three booleying huts (DG085-006001-/002-). Elsewhere in the plantation there are also what appear to be two small turf and earth built booleying huts. There is a small circular hut near the northern farmstead. It measures approximately 3m in diameter, with walls surviving to a height of about 0.5m and an entrance to the southeast. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 21 August 2012