Re:Romans In Ireland | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

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For those with access to RTE

FourWinds Feb 23, 2005 13:18:31

Replying to follow that cow

Roman coins were found at Newgrange and it is assumed from this that some Romans came site-seeing. The other alternative is that some traders obtained some Roman coins and then offered them to Newgrange or the spirits thereof. I think it was George Bernard Shaw who planted Roman coins at Tara when the British Israelites were digging for the Ark of the Covenant.

A few swords etc have been found, but these again were probably traded. None of the Roman historians ever chronicled a major jolly to Ireland as far as I know. It's a long trip from France directly to Ireland (17 hours by modern ferry), so the only practical route would have been via the west coast of England, Wales or Scotland. Being as the Romans had there hands full in each of these areas the oportunity of making a major crossing wasn't really open to them.

follow that cow Feb 23, 2005 14:16:18

Replying to FourWinds

Thanks FW,

You've got pretty much the same info as me, I just thought that there was something new that I hadn't heard of re:Cian's description of the RTE programme.

New aerial photography of crop marks is disclosing new evidence of Roman camps/forts/roads in all sorts of areas of Scotland where they have never previously been thought to have been.

I have always thought that for a couple of hundred years post Caeser, when the Romans still believed that it was their destiny (and more crucially believed that they had the resources to) control and civilised ALL of the known world I am sure that they would have had a peek at 'Hibernia'.

Surprisingly, one of the major problems with the Romans is the lack of written records, even with Scotland, which they were in and out of in a will I wont I basis for well over 200 years, I think we would be hard pushed to record a double digit figure in written sources.

Anyway, not really a topic for this FORUM, as one Roman said to another. Thanks for getting back to me and if you ever see evidence of any large square crop marks in Ireland be sure to let me know.

FTC

wideford Feb 23, 2005 23:50:00

Replying to FourWinds

"Early Ireland" by Michael J. O'Kelly (Cambridge University Press 1989 p.336) refers to a burial found in a rath near Stoneyford (Co. Kilkenny) in 1832/1852 that was "clearly a Roman internment and Barry Raftery claims.. it is the only genuine one.. from Ireland. One of the curious features about it is that it is situated so far inland.. close to a major river crossing... Richard Warner [says] such fragile material must surely imply the presence of a strong and secure Roman community".