Irish Archaeology
Sharing Ireland’s amazing archaeology as well as interesting sites and finds from around the world.
This folkore account details some of the signs associated with approaching weather systems. It is based on information supplied in 1938 by Edmond Burke (age 53) from Bunatober, Corrandulla, Co. Galway. A yellow ring around the moon at night is a sign of wet weather. The sun drowned in the clouds is a sign of […]
These two fascinating folklore accounts from Co. Galway detail a practice known as ‘churching the cow’. It was carried out immediately after calving and was believed to protect the cow from harm or evil. The name of the ritual, ‘churching‘, is taking from a contemporary religious rite that was carried out after childbirth. Churching a […]
This folklore account suggests various ‘cures’ for the common and often persistent skin condition, warts. It was told by John Lynksey from Barnaderg, Co. Galway in 1937/38. A snail rubbed on the wart every morning and evening until a wart begins to go is said to cure warts. Sap of the dandelion squeezed on the wart […]
Over 4000 years old, the Lurgan canoe was discovered in 1901 by Patrick Coen as he worked in a Co. Galway bog that had once been a shallow lake. It is carved from a giant oak trunk and measures over 14 m (45ft) long by 1 m wide. The boat is easily the largest artefact […]
The imposing ruins of Dunmore castle tower above the rolling fields of north Galway. Situated on a small hillock, the first castle at this site was built by the Anglo-Norman de-Birmingham family in the early 13th century. Designed as a bulwark against the native Irish, the castle was soon called into service. In 1249 Dunmore was […]
I recently visited a small but distinctive archaeological site at Creevaghbaun, Co. Galway. It consists of diminutive well-built structure that is known locally as a ‘teach allais’ or sweat house (teach allais is the Irish for sweat house). The building is clearly visible from the nearby Tuam to Barnaderg road and is located in an area […]
A history of Ireland in 100 objects Bronze Age dugout canoe by Fintan O’Toole (taken from the Irish Times Link) It is so long – 15m in all – that it cannot be photographed as a whole inside the National Museum of Ireland. The best image goes back to 1902, when it was taken in […]