Cloneygonnell (otherwise Tonymore)—a townland in the parish of Kilmore, barony of Lower Loughtee—contained three crannogs that became exposed when the waters of Tonymore Lough had been run off by arterial drainage. Although the tops of the outer row of piles could be seen projecting above the surface, yet the real nature of the largest of these islands—a green oblong mound—was not suspected until after the railway had passed through a portion of it. The land was described as rising, in a succession of low hills, from what had been the ancient margin of the lake; on the north and south sides were the raths of Shancloon and Cloneygonnell, as shown ([plate XLVII.], [fig. 202]), and there were several raths of minor importance. In 1862, Dr. Malcomson of Cavan, carefully examined the locality, and made a sketch of the general appearance of the ancient lake bed and neighbourhood ([fig. 203]), as well as a representation of the section of the larger crannog where cut by the railway ([fig. 204]). The piles or stakes were arranged in two circles, one within the other, the diameter of the greater one being one hundred and twenty feet, and that of the other ninety feet. The piles in the outer circle were very numerous, and in some instances driven in close proximity to each other; a few appeared about three feet above the surface, and upon being withdrawn and examined were found to have been carefully pointed. The stakes in the inner row were not so numerous; some of them were of oak, others being of sallow or other soft wood. Within the stockade were observed two small mounds, one at the north, the other at the south. Corresponding with the depression between these, and three feet under the soil, was discovered during the excavation a flat stone four feet square and three inches thick, resting on a number of upright blocks of oak; this, no doubt, was a hearthstone. The most elevated point of the mound, towards the south of the island, had a crater-like appearance. Besides the wooden stakes which entered into the formation of the circles, others appear to have been laid horizontally, their beam-like ends showing at that part of the enclosure which was disturbed by the passage of the railway. On exploring the crannog, and when the excavations had been carried to the centre, the cut surface presented from above, downwards—
1st. Clay.
2nd. Black and grey ashes, with small stones and sand.
3rd. Bones and ashes, with lumps of blue and yellow clay.
4th. A quantity of grey ashes, and
5th. The horizontal sleepers, or stretchers, and hazel branches resting on the peat bottom. ([Plate XLVII.], [fig. 204].)
Fig. 205.—Plan of Crannog, showing the radial arrangement of the timbers.
The superficial soil was gradually removed in order to expose the original flooring and examine its peculiar arrangement. During the removal of this stratum the workmen turned up a few antique specimens, amongst them portion of a glazed crucible, and a large mass of brownish metallic dross, quite convex on one surface. The principal stretchers—about forty in number—which composed the flooring were of black oak, in a tolerable state of preservation; each plank was from six to twelve feet in length, and from six to twelve inches square. They were laid down so as to extend lengthways from the circumference towards the centre, forming a number of radiæ somewhat like the spokes of a wheel; their outer ends were kept in position by slender crooked trunks of oak-trees forming a kind of circle, these again being fixed into their places by the outer row of stockades. The planks were not in close apposition, and the spaces so left were filled with thick branches of sallow, deal, and hazel, with the bark on; many of the branches extended underneath the sleepers, thus separating them from the peat bottom. The branches were for the most part rotten, and easily broken down. Hazel nuts were found here hard and brown, as if but just fallen from the tree. When the peat was removed to a depth of two feet near the outer part of the enclosure, the space so left was immediately filled up with bog water. A similar examination made near the centre exposed a hard foundation of blue clay. The timbers composing the crannog appeared to have been roughly hewn, and were not joined together by nails or mortises; two of the stretchers, however, had mortises. This site was most thoroughly examined. In the same marsh, but nearer to the ruin of Tonymore Castle, there were traces of two other stockaded dwellings ([plate XLVII.], [fig. 202]), an elevated causeway leading from them to what had been formerly the mainland.[219]