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Crannóg site revealed after lake's level drops


Hopefully I'm in the right Irish county for this crannog........

THE RECENT prolonged dry weather spell which put pressure on water supplies in the west has proven to be good news for archaeologists.

The low water table on the western lakes and rivers has yielded a number of significant finds in Connemara, according to archaeologist Michael Gibbons.

Among them has been a new crannóg site which is part of a complex in the south Connemara area. It was located by Co Galway silversmith and archaeological student Ruairí O'Neill and a friend, John Foley, while exploring Lough Dhúleitir, north of Carna. Mr Gibbons, who lectures on Mr O'Neill's course, said that it was a "fine example" of a small crannóg. The lake is overlooked by an abandoned 19th-century settlement.

"This is one of a wonderful group of six sites between Carna and Cill Chiaráin," Mr Gibbons said. The distribution extends from Doon Loughan to Lough na Tulaí near Indreabhán in south Connemara. Crannógs, derived from "crann", the Irish word for tree, were artificial islands built as dwellings in prehistoric and medieval times on lakes and in estuaries.

"Similar groups of stone crannógs are found in parts of Mayo, west Donegal and throughout the outer Hebrides in western Scotland and they range in date from the neolithic down to the 17th century, with the O'Flaherty's castle built on top of one such lake dwelling," Mr Gibbons said.

"They are part of the hidden heritage of the glacially scoured granite lands of south and west Connemara," he added.


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0629/1224273556107.html
moss Posted by moss
1st July 2010ce
Edited 2nd July 2010ce

Comments (4)

Carna's in Galway, left at Mamm Cross on the way to Clifden, remember it well, studied Irish for a month there back in 1980, no idea where Cill Chiaráin is, must look that one up during the summer, looks very interesting Moss bogman Posted by bogman
1st July 2010ce
Cill Chiaráin is just past Carna (and its old seaweed factory, if I remember correctly) on the same Clifden road. I stayed there for 30 Gaelteacht days in 1976. I passed through it about 5 years ago and was utterly saddened to see the mess that had been made of it with an orgy of bungaloid building. Very happy memories from back in '76 though. ryaner Posted by ryaner
1st July 2010ce
As there are two comments I'll leave it where it is in Clare rather than Galway, as you both have fond memories of the area and I would probably erase the comments.... Find crannogs fascinating, reading on the net, it seems that they came over from Scotland to Ireland and more are to do with the late I/A and early christianity.... moss Posted by moss
2nd July 2010ce
You will enjoy reading this Ryaner, its related too the seaweed factory, from todays Times
"Jobless turn to seaweed harvesting"
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0705/1224274035282.html
bogman Posted by bogman
5th July 2010ce
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