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Cé go bhfuil roinnt mhaith alt scríobhta agam anois, ins an iris seo, maidir leis na suíomheanna difrúil seandálaíochta atá anso i gCorca Dhuibhne, b’fhéidir go bhfuil chuid acu dearmuidithe agam? Tá Corca Dhuibhne chomh saibhir ó thaobh na seandálaíochta de, le suíomheanna ón tréibhse Mesolitheach ar aighdh, ach tá níos mó sampla againn ón luath-ré Chrstíochta ná aon tréibhse eile, idir na lioseanna, ratheanna, cathair agus na mainistir, Riasc, Gallarus 7 a leithéad, mar shampla. Má teastaíonn eolas ort maidir le aon suíomh speisialta, scríobh go dtí This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., agus beidh mé ag fiosrú!
This is the 4th season of my writing articles about the archaeology of the Dingle Peninsula for this magazine. Specific sites, general site types, and also different periods in Irish archaeology have been covered, with emphasis on what can be found here in Corca Dhuibhne, over 30 articles so far! Some of the articles are available on the web site of this magazine, www.westkerrylive.ie. But looking back over what has been published, I see that I don’t seem to have written a general introductory article at all, so perhaps now is the time.
There is a huge, rich, archaeological resource here in Corca Dhuibhne, one which can be appreciated by those of us living here as much as by our many visitors. We have evidence of Mesolithic (middle stone age) settlement (as excavated by Prof. Peter Woodman at Ferriter’s Cove, near Baile an Fheirtéaraigh), and from that period on, we have examples of many different site and monument types, from all eras of Irish Archaeology.
We are particularly rich in monuments from the later Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, to be seen in our wedge tombs, galláin (single standing stones), stone rows and rock art. The Early Medieval period is also very well represented, with various monastic sites (think Gallarus, Riasc, Cill Maoilchéadair), ringforts and cashels, and our famous ‘beehive’ huts (i.e. clocháin or house sites). But one can find examples of sites from all periods, with perhaps the Iron Age being the one least well represented, but that story is the same all over Ireland.
We are also fortunate to have so many monuments in State Care, and therefore easily accessible to the public, particularly in places where a right-of-way for access has also been obtained by the state. In many other cases our landowners are very generous in allowing people to cross their land to visit sites, either without charge, or for a small fee. There are few, if any, other parts of Ireland where you will find such a density of monuments, many of them so easily accessed.
So, has anything been left out left out? Is there any monument you feel I have missed, or period in of antiquity about which you would like to know more? Please drop a line to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any suggestions.
In the meanwhile, why not take a visit to Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, www.westkerrymuseum.com? We re-open in June, from 10.00 am – 5.00 pm, 7 days a week. Tel: 066-9156333 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There is also a café with fresh baking daily and a bookshop, and free Wi-Fi for customers!
