archaeological ireland

The Ulster Cultural Institute offers a choice to the visitor which ranges from an archaeological exhibition, traditional music archive, tapestry weaving exhibition, art gallery and library.

Cultural courses on offer include Irish language classes at all levels, hill walking, set dancing, archaeology, tapestry weaving and painting....

An Iron Age promontory fort, one of the most sophisticated monuments of its class, remarkable for the ingenious nature of its defences. It stands on a V-shaped headland in the south-west of the Dingle peninsula and while not difficult of access is unsignposted because of its hazardous condition, to which warning notices on the site draw attention. The position of Dunbeg is very exposed and parts of the cliff have been severely eroded, carrying sections of the masonry into the sea. The landwar...

Lough Gur was the site of a Neolithic settlement which was inhabited in 3000 BC and the Lough is surrounded by ancient standing stones, burial mounds, megalithic tombs, and perhaps most impressively, a 4000 year old stone circle just outside the park. A mock Stone Age hut holds an interpretative centre with audiovisuals and models to help visitors understand what archaeologists have learnt from the settlement. From the more recent history of the lough survives 13th and 15th Century castles....

This bridge is located on the Kells-Moynalty Road and spans the River Blackwater. The sturcture dates from pre-Norman times (1169 AD), a fact confirmed by the design of two of the arches. The name of the bridge derives from the family name Mape or de Malpas, who owned the land around here before the English Civil War (1642-49)....

Uisneagh Hill is about 11 miles from Mullingar on the R390. On this hill can be found the Catstone or "Ail Na Mearainn", said to be the meeting point of the five ancient provinces of Ireland. This is the hill on which King Tuathal Teachmar erected his royal palace in the second century. An imposing hill, 180 metres high, "Uisneagh" provides a magnificent view of the midlands. It was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland for 200 years prior to the coming of St. Patrick and the geat paga...

Reached by a small by-road leading to a car-park, the King's stables is a mysterious place which must have played some ritual role within the landscape around the great royal site of Navan Fort, one mile to the east. It is a dangerous and steep-sided 10-foot-deep man-made pool surrounded by a bank, constructed sometime before 1000 B.C. its significance must lie in its water, as the prehistoric Celts are known to have practised a water cult. A brief excavation in 1975 revealed the front of a h...

The monastery was founded by St Moling who died in 696. Active in politics, he succeeded in convincing the Leinstermen to let the Munstermen off the Borama, a triditional tribute of cattle which they were forced to pay. St.. Moiling is said to have been Bishop of Ferns and also of Glendalough. The kings of south Leinster, including the McMurrough Kavanaghs, were buried here. St. Mullin's Abbey is a medieval nave-and-chancel church with spiral staircase. Near it are the stump of a Round Tower,...

Occupying a commanding hill-top overlooking islanded Lough Gill to the south and pretty Colgagh Lake to the west, this large and imposing monument is perhaps the best example of a centre court-tomb in the country. Its traditional name, by which it is still known hereabouts, is Leacht Con Mhic Ruis. The oval court, 50 feet in length with an entrance on the south side, has two segmented galleries at its east end and one at the west. In the last century all three galleries had large lintel stones...

This is one of the last remaining pieces of the original  town wall. This ruined gateway was one of 5 in a section of the town walls which were built by Geoffrey de Geneville.
Access by permission only....

TOUR A Leaving from Kiltimagh will travel to North Mayo area passing through Cill Aodain (home of Raftery the Poet) and stopping at - Fort in Carrowkeel - Monastic site in Bohola - Ballylahan Castle - Foxford Town - Mount Falcon Castle - House - Ballina Town - Moyne Town - Killala Round Tower and Town - Brestagh Ogham Stone - Kilcummin Beach (Landing Place of French forces in 1798) - Downpatrick Head - Promontory Fort and Swallow Holes - Return to Kiltimagh

TOUR B L...