Road — class 1 togher in Clonad (phillipstown Lower By.),rathfeston

A multi-layered plank site (L 579.78m min.; Wth 3.33m; D 0.48m) orientated NW-SE. The site is predominantly constructed of transverse planks secured at either end by split timber pegs and supported on a substructure of densely packed, longitudinal planks and miscellaneous split timbers. Mortices were cut into some planks, two of which secured by pegs. The basal layer is comprised of transverse timbers (L 0.32m min.; Wth 0.3m min.; D 0.1m min.) and light brushwood. The middle layer consists solely of longitudinal planks (L 2.28m max.; Wth 0.56m max.; D 0.06m max.), one timber with a sub-rectangular mortice. The upper surface consists of transverse planks (av. L 1.39m; av. Wth 0.32m; av. D 0.06m), small split timbers and mixed brushwood. The planks are spaced at regular intervals, approximately 0.1m apart, with brushwood in the intervening areas. It is in moderately to well-humified Sphagnum peat with Eriophorum. The site produced dendrochronological dates ranging from 1083±9 BC (Q10126) to 911±9 BC or later (Q10125). SMR OF018-111---- is 0.75m below the site at one point along its E extent. SMR OF018-016. Compiled by: Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (University College Dublin). This site was initially recorded in the RMP as 18:16 (although it is in the Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly as 18:6) and subsequently identified by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (UCD) in their 2001 survey as a primary togher orientated north-west to south-east terminating at a gravel knoll in the middle of the bog. They recorded woodworking throughout the site, as represented by split timbers as well as a number of degraded toolmarks and mortises. Following the survey the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (UCD) obtained dendrochronological dates ranging from 1083±9 BC to 911±9 BC or later for this site (Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (UCD) 2002). Five cuttings measuring 10m by 4m were excavated under licence no. 04E0722 along the length of this trackway and it was recorded at twelve other locations. The excavation revealed the remains of a substantial wooden trackway c. 600m in surviving length and on average 3m wide. The construction method and the materials used appear to be quite uniform along its length. The original construction appears to have been transverse planks secured by pegs lying on top of longitudinal runners. The trackway is built in a remarkably straight line and does not appear to respect local topography, as evidenced by the variation in the number of construction layers used and the repairs that were carried out. Environmental analysis of peat cores and samples taken from the cuttings may help to explain the variation in the number of construction layers/phases of repair along the length of the trackway and the presence of a sandy deposit and tree stumps. Dating samples taken during the excavation will help to confirm the possible period of use of this trackway. Research into this site is ongoing and post-excavation analysis, dating and environmental evidence may help to form a clearer picture of the function of this site (Excavations Bulletin 2004). Reference Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (UCD) 2002 Archaeological survey report: Clonad Bog, Co. Offaly. Unpublished report commissioned by Dœchas, the Heritage Service. Eoin Corcoran, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3. Date of revision: 23 April 2009