Period In Ireland Research Articles

In Retrospect: Neolithic activity at Knockadoon, Lough Gur, Co. Limerick, 50 years on

InRetrospect Neolithic activity atKnockadoon, LoughGur, Co. Limerick, 50yearson1 GabrielCooney SchoolofArchaeology, University CollegeDublin,Dublin4 Sean P.Ó Ríordáin, MRIA, Professor ofCelticArchaeology atUniversity College Dublin(UCD), diedin1957attheageof52.Hewasatthepeakofhiscareer, engaged inanongoing research project atTarawhere hehadundertaken excavations atthe Rath oftheSynods (Ráith naSeanad, Grogan etal. forthcoming), Ráith naRig(Roche2002) andtheMoundoftheHostages (DumananGiall)where a further seasonofwork was carried outbyhissuccessor inUCD, Professor Ruaidhri deValera(O' Sullivan 2005). Ó Ríordáin 'swork atTaraturned outtobethe final actofa very impressive engagement inarchaeological research, much ofitpublished intheProceedings oftheRoyalIrish Academy. His paperspublished therein included thoseon hisseriesofexcavations on the Curragh, Co. Kildare(Ó Ríordáin1950a); his consideration of Roman material inIreland (Ó Ríordáin 1947a);andmajorexcavations atCush,Co. Limerick (Ó Ríordáin 1940),Garranes, Co. Cork(Ó Ríordáin 1942),Ballycatteen, Co. Cork(Ó Ríordáin andHartnett 1943),andLetterkeen, Co.Mayo(Ó Ríordáin andMacDermott 1952);that madea very significant contribution toourunderstanding ofearly Christian orearly medieval Ireland. Theco-authored volume onNewgrange andthe Bendofthe Boyne that appeared after hisdeath (Ó Ríordáin andDaniel 1964)demonstrated that hewasalsovery actively involved inthestudy ofthepassagetombs oftheBendofthe Boyne.SeanP.Ó Ríordáin 'simpact onIrish archaeology hasbeenoutlined invarious papers(O'Kelly 1957;Cooney1997a;de hoir2002; Wallace2004;Waddell2005, 225-6) andas Waddell (2005,225) hascommented Ó Ríordáin 'swork atLoughGur occupiesa central placeinhisachievement andcareer. From1936to1954(with a break in1952-3)heworked intheLoughGurarea ofsouth-east Co. Limerick, whereas heputit,'there is a smalllakesetina group oflimestone hills'(Ó Ríordáin1954,298). Fifty yearson,hisresearch programme inthisareastillranks as arguably themostintensive excavation-based investigation ofa landscape anywhere inIreland (Grogan 2005a,47), matched inscaleonlyover thelastdecadeor so bythearchaeological survey andexcavation associatedwith majorinfrastructural developments suchas motorways. Ó Ríordáin 's workbuilton existing research (Windle1912;O'Kelly1942,1943a,1943b,1944)andinvolved the 1Thisretrospective piecerelates toSeanP.Ó Ríordáin, 'Lough Gur excavations. Neolithic andBronze Agehouses onKnockadoon', Proceedings oftheRoyal Irish Academy 56C (1954), 297-459. Proceedings oftheRoyalIrish Academy Vol.107C,215-225© 2007RoyalIrish Academy GabrielCooney excavation ofa widerangeofsitesintheLoughGurarea.Thesesitesincluded the Carraig Ailleringforts andrelated structures andactivity (Ó Ríordáin 1949),barrows atRathjordan (Ó Ríordáin 1947b,1948),wetland sitesatRockbarton (Mitchell andÓ Ríordáin 1942)andBallingoola (Ó Ríordáin 1950b),thewedgetomb atLoughGur (Ó Ríordáin andÓ h-Iceadha 1955)andthelargestone circleatGrange (Ó Ríordáin 1951).Butgeographically at theheartoftheLoughGurarea is theKnockadoon Peninsula around which LoughGurcurves onthree sides(theexception beingtothe eastwhere there is marsh). Ó Ríordáin 's (1954) excavation ofprehistoric settlement sitesthere wascentral notonly tohisinterpretation oftheprehistory oftheLoughGur areabutalsotoitsplaceandroleina wider understanding ofprehistory inIreland. Itishisdiscussion oftheresults oftheexcavation ofnineopenorunprotected siteswith structures ofrectangular andcircular form (SitesA-I) onKnockadoon that is thefocusofthisretrospection (Pis I andII). Ó Ríordáin evaluated theresults and detailed whathethought werethesignificance ofthesites'from twoviewpoints that ofhousestructure andthat oftheaccompanying material equipment, especially thepottery' (Ó Ríordáin1954,443). He also excavated a seriesofenclosedsites on Knockadoon(CirclesJ,K, L and Sites 10 and 12),theresults ofwhichwere subsequently published intheProceedings oftheRoyalIrishAcademy (Grogan and Eogan1987).Grogan andEogan(1987,467-90) madethepoint that theseenclosed sitesand theopen sitesdetailedby Ó Ríordáin(1954) shouldbe considered in conjunction. Also,intheir general discussion they provide animportant assessment of Ó Ríordáin 's workandinterpretations inthelight ofarchaeological knowledge in themid-1980s. Subsequently, there hasbeenfurther excavation onKnockadoon and valuable reassessment ofearlier work byCleary (1993,1995,2003).Theresults ofthe Discovery Programme's North Munster project (Grogan 2005a,2005b)haveplacedÓ Ríordáin 'swork ina wider landscape andcultural context (see discussion inGrogan 2005a,47-62; seealsoGrogan 1989).Attheendofthediscussion inthe1954paper Ó Ríordáin reflected that thepublication ofhisresearch ontheKnockadoon siteswould helptoprovide a background andframework for thediscussion ofother similar sites andthat further work atLoughGurwouldhelptofillinthegaps(Ó Ríordáin 1954, 456). Itis inthiscontext that I wanttoconsider current assessments ofthematerial equipment, specifically thepottery (Fig.1),andthehousestructures onKnockadoon (Fig. 2), particularly as theyrelateto ourinterpretation andunderstanding ofthe Neolithic period inIreland. Itisworth remembering that wenowhavea muchlonger prehistoric chronology thanÓ Ríordáin, working before theadvent ofradiocarbon dating, wouldhaveenvisaged. Therehas been a carefulteasingout and reassessment of Ó Ríordáin 's arguments regarding theprehistoric pottery sequence bya number ofarchaeologists. As Grogan(2005a, 53) hasputitthepottery is thekeyto dating thesequenceof prehistoric activity atKnockadoon, basedondevelopments inourunderstanding of Irishprehistoric ceramics. Ó Ríordáin hadusedstratigraphy, particularly atSiteC, todatethepottery, buthealso recognised that thiswasproblematic becauseofthe continuity ofprehistoric activity onthepeninsula (Ó Ríordáin 1954,322,341).Inan important paper, Kelly(1978) pointed outthat, giventhethinness ofthesoilcover overlimestone bedrock, thelackofwell-defined stratigraphy andthelongsequence ofactivity, anadmixture ofmaterial ofdifferent datesmight beexpected. Ó Ríordáin 216 Neolithic activity atKnockadoon, LoughGur, Co...

Trends in colorectal cancer presentation over a twenty year period in Ireland

Aims: To examine if urbanisation of a rural population has led to a change in the pattern of colorectal cancer presentation.

Evidence for high-frequency late Glacial to mid-Holocene (16,800 to 5500 cal yr B.P.) climate variability from oxygen isotope values of Lough Inchiquin, Ireland

A 7.6-m core recovered from Lough Inchiquin, western Ireland provides evidence for rapid and long-term climate change from the Late Glacial period to the Mid-Holocene. We determined percentage of carbonate, total organic matter, mineralogy, and δ18Ocalcite values to provide the first high-resolution record of climate variability for this period in Ireland. Following deglaciation, rapid climate amelioration preceded large increases in GISP2 δ18Oice values by ∼2300 yr. The Oldest Dryas (15,100 to 14,500 cal yr B.P.) Late Glacial event is documented in this record as a decrease in δ18Ocalcite values. Brief warming at ∼12,700 cal yr B.P. was followed by characteristic Younger Dryas cold and dry climate conditions. A rapid increase in δ18Ocalcite values at ∼10,500 cal yr B.P. marked the onset of Boreal warming in western Ireland. The 8200 cal yr B.P. event is represented by a brief cooling in our record. Prior to general warming, a larger and previously undescribed climate anomaly between 7300 and 6700 cal yr B.P. is characterized by low δ18Ocalcite values with high-frequency variability.

:Victoria's Ireland? Irishness and Britishness, 1837–1901.

This collection of interdisciplinary essays focuses on the articulation and interplay of 'Irish' and 'British' identities during the Victorian period in Ireland, Great Britain and beyond. To some commentators inherently antagonistic, to others potentially complementary, 'Irishness' and 'Britishness' were described and contested with increasing intensity throughout the long period of Victoria's reign. These essays utilize a range of themes to throw light on the complexities of that relationship, including the Victorian monarchy's attitude towards Ireland and Irish reactions to it, debates about Irish difference and integration, and varied constructions of Ireland's place in the imperial world order. It gives particular attention to the Famine as a rupturing force in Victorian Irish-British relations and to attempts made to contain this cleavage in literature, economic theory and policy.

The Irish Women's Movement: From Revolution to Devolution (review)

Reviewed by: The Irish Women’s Movement: From Revolution to Devolution Molly Horan The Irish Women’s Movement: From Revolution to Devolution, by Linda Connolly , pp. 324. Dublin: Lilliput Press, 2003. Distributed by Dufour Editions, Chester Springs PA. $26.95. Linda Connolly's sociological history takes a fresh approach to examining the Irish women's movement through a sociological lens using social movement theory, demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary Irish Studies through incorporation of multiple modes of analysis, including feminist and postcolonial theory, history, journalistic documentary, and sociology. The dense theoretical language of the text initially appears daunting, but the [End Page 157] reader who navigates the challenging introduction is rewarded; the text crosses disciplinary boundaries with ease to provide a comprehensive, multifaceted insider's perspective of the women's movement in Ireland from the 1860s to the present. Connolly reviews the current literature in Irish social history and identifies within it substantial gaps and misrepresentations. These include the view of Irish women as "late developers," the automatic pairing of Irish feminism with nationalism, and what the author sees as the "selective use of Irish feminism to corroborate the post-colonial reading of Ireland." The history charted in her examination of the Irish women's movement takes into account the experiences of those who have rejected or have been often bypassed by feminism—for example, rural women, working-class women, and Catholics working toward an inclusive model. Far from dogmatically preaching feminism or idealizing the women's movement, Connolly casts a penetrating critical gaze that exposes the large-scale picture of the movement by discussing its racist and elitist biases, its successful and its unsuccessful tactics, and its tendency to elevate "personalities," which she rejects by identifying her own interviewees anonymously as "Founder Member IWLM" or "Member Well Woman Center, Radical Activist." The movement itself operated to change women's lives independently of the "feminist" label; Connolly notes, for instance, that such organizations as the Irish Housewives Association formed a "brave tiny army" allowing more traditional women a niche for political agency. A feminist orientation clearly permeates the book's language and methods. Connolly incorporates the feminist credo "The Personal is Political" by transcending the political arena into the cultural manifestations of the movement, giving voice to individual activists and recognizing the diversity of the movement as essential to its success. Case studies help to weave together strands of the movement, beginning with the mainstream policy-driving organization, the Council for the Status of Women, then turning to the conservative Irish Housewives' Association, the radical Irish Women's Liberation Organization, and finally, the modern melding of interests in Irishwomen United. Despite Connelly's stated interest in amplifying the grassroots, community-based feminism of working class, nonacademic organizations, her prose reflects the values and methods of elite academic writing. Outsiders to academic feminist theory may well find this history inaccessible, as it assumes a common discourse and cultural understanding that even the activists interviewed may not share. For scholars, however, the text legitimizes and establishes a distinct space for the Irish women's movement in sociopolitical history, [End Page 158] while consistently challenging the field to do further research analyses, such as a study of feminist politics North and South. The text charts the women's movement in Ireland through four clear historical stages following the creation of the state in 1921: abeyance, advancement, reappraisal, and new directions. Connolly outlines each in the introduction, forcefully front-loading her argument and exploring each stage in its own chapter, drawing together the diverse elements that have shaped the movement. This emphasis on process is essential to the author's concept of history as a result of inextricable forces constantly converging and remaking themselves, that "the unity of a movement is not given at the outset but is the historically contested result of mobilization processes, in the course of which all those involved try to structure the field in accordance with their perceptions and preferences". Beginning with the prevalent characterization of Irish women as "late developers," Connolly firmly dispels this assessment by proving empirically that during the hostile environment of the post-independence period in Ireland, feminism continued to work behind the scenes...

Neolithic houses in Ireland: a broader perspective

IntroductionOver 90 structures have been identified as probable houses dating to the Neolithic period in Ireland (Grogan 2996; Cooney 1999; FIGURE 1; TABLES 1- 3). While there is a considerable variation in size and form two principal types are discernible, the large rectangular buildings of the Early Neolithic and circular or oval structures that have a much wider chronological span. In the past some of these have been readily accepted as houses while other, generally more ephemeral, structures havc occasionally been classified as having more temporary or specialist functions

Prediction of silage dry matter digestibility from digestible organic matter digestibility

Grass silage forms the basal forage for the majority of dairy and beef cattle during the winter indoor feeding period. However its feeding value, as determined by intake potential and digestibility can differ dramatically at farm level as indicated by the Hillsborough Feeding Information System (HFIS). For example, for 7000 silages which were offered to dairy and beef cattle during the 1999/2000 indoor feeding period in Ireland and analysed through the HFIS, dry matter digestibility (DMD) varied from 540 to 830 g/kg DM (Keady, 2000). Many models used to predict feed intake by dairy cattle include a digestibility component (Keady and Mayne, 2000). However some models use DMD whereas others use digestible organic matter digestibility (DOMD). Furthermore commercial laboratories in Ireland measure silage digestibility as DMD while in the UK it is measured as DOMD. To facilitate the use of different models to predict food intake by dairy cattle, often it is necessary to be able to predict DMD from DOMD or vice versa. The present study was undertaken to develop a relationship between DMD and DOMD to facilitate the use of different models for the prediction of food intake when digestibility is available only either as DMD or as DOMD.

Outside of life: traditions of infant burial in Ireland from cillin to cist

The infant forms an ambiguous class of individual, located on the periphery of normal lifecycle events. This is often reflected in the character and choice of burial location. During the Historic period in Ireland the separate burial of unbaptised infants reused earlier monuments, particularly those with Early Christian associations. These cillini (children's burial grounds) were frequently situated in marginal locations and their identification with the host site often enhanced their ambiguous and liminal character. A review of the prehistoric evidence also suggests the differential treatment of infants during the Neolithic-Early Bronze Age, in particular the location of infant burials in the passages of two later Neolithic sites at Fourknocks, Co. Meath. The reuse of earlier megaliths for infant burials may reflect the reinvention of these sites in the contemporary mythological landscape at a latter stage in their own monumental lifecycle.

EARLY FAUNAL EVIDENCE FOR DAIRYING

Summary: The high incidence of young calves and mature females in faunal assemblages is often interpreted as being indicative of the practice of specialised dairying. an alternative model is suggested here on the basis of faunal and documentary evidence from the early historical period in Ireland

Irish Neolithic Landscapes and Land Use Systems: The Implications of Field Systems

I approach this paper as a prehistorian whose research has been primarily in areas with little or no surviving evidence for prehistoric fields, so that my only close encounter with field systems has been at Kilmashogue and other sites in the uplands just to the south of Dublin (figure 1 shows the location of the main areas and sites in Ireland mentioned in the text). These are certainly fixed in space but unfortunately are as yet floating in time (Cooney, 1985). But this personal predicament is in fact central to the problems approached in this paper: that while there is increasing evidence for prehistoric field systems in Ireland, they are frequently perceived as occurring in the archaeological record only in certain areas; that the relationship between them and other aspects of the archaeological record is not always clear; and that there are major problems in dating these field systems.My second introductory point is to comment that the sequence of the title is deliberate. The significance of field systems must be seen in the context of what would have been the contemporary cultural landscape and land use, and the various interpretations which have been made of these. The occurrence of field systems has major implications for the way we view the human impact on the environment and use of the land during the Neolithic period in Ireland (4,000 – 2,500 BC).

Tesco leaves Ireland

The recent announcement that Tesco has sold its Irish outlets has been received with little surprise, since rumours to this effect have been rumbling away for some months now. What is a surprise, however, is the identity of the buyer, and the sum involved. A J Parker charts Tesco's period in Ireland, describes the new owner of the stores, and finally wonders what the eventual future of the outlets will be.

The Late Devensian vegetation of Ireland

The vegetation of the Late Devensian period in Ireland is reviewed. New investigations at Ballybetagh, Co. Dublin, Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, Glenveagh, Co. Donegal and Poulroe, Co. Clare, are reported. A sequence of phases of vegetation development for the Dublin region is described and regional variation elsewhere in Ireland discussed. Pollen influx values for two Late Devensian sites in southeastern Ireland are reported. A case is made that the Juniperus-Empetrum phase between 12400 and 12000 B.P. was the warmest phase of the Late Devensian. The reason for absence of birch woodland in late-glacial Ireland is discussed. Evidence for widespread soil erosion at the end of the Juniperus-Empetrum phase is presented. The occurrence of a corrie glaciation at Lough Nahanagan in the Wicklow Mountains in the Artemisia phase is documented. A radiocarbon chronology for events in the Late Devensian of Ireland is proposed

Influence of preglacial dispersion on geochemical exploration in county Offaly, Central Ireland

Abstract Weathering and erosion during the Tertiary period in Ireland gave rise to widespread secondary dispersion in the vicinity of exposed mineralization. Resulting patterns are still partly traceable under the glacial cover and constitute geochemical anomalies that are found to be more revealing than corresponding anomalies in the glacial till. A large near-surface lead and zinc anomaly in northeast County Offaly, Eire, was found to overlie an iron hydroxide-filled Tertiary(?) sinkhole. Tracing the dispersion patterns from this preglacial hydromorphic anomaly led to the discovery, to the north of the sinkhole and under the glacial drift, of two residual anomalies characterized by highly concentrated secondary zinc mineralization (up to 10% Zn). One of these follows a regional structural trend and may be of economic significance. Assessment of the depth of overburden was made using shallow refraction seismic equipment and sampling was carried out with two types of portable drills.

The quaternary period in ireland —an assessment, 1960

(1960). The quaternary period in ireland —an assessment, 1960. Irish Geography: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 121-130.

Note on the Hallstatt Period in Ireland

On page 86 of the 2nd edition (1912) of the late J. R. Allen's Celtic Art is the statement, ‘Of the smaller Hallstatt sword with an iron blade and a bronze handle, having antennae-like projections at the top, one specimen from the Thames is to be seen in the British Museum, and there are about half a dozen others in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.’ Déchelette (Manuel, ii, 2nd part, page 737 and note 3) repeated this on Allen's authority. But no swords of this type have, I believe, been discovered in Ireland. As no examples have been exhibited with the Academy's collection it is difficult to account for the mistake.