Latest news with #CAPNI
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Moira: Castle under village park could date to 17th century
Archaeologists believe they have found the remains of an ancient castle in a public park in Moira - but works are ongoing to uncover whether it dates from the 1800s or is an earlier structure built in the park in the County Down village is owned by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council but 250 years ago it was part of an estate belonging to the earl of Moira. Maps show a house was built on the site in the 17th century, revamped in the 18th century and demolished in the early 19th century. The ongoing excavation is being supported by the Community Archaeology Programme NI (CAPNI) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Ruairí Ó Baoill an archaeologist with the Centre for Community Archaeology at Queen's University Belfast, said it was possible the findings included both castles."What we're seeing are the walls of buildings and the cobbled surfaces around them," he said."They probably date to the 18th century. The buildings themselves were demolished in the early 1800s - so we are trying to find out if they are part of the 18th century Moira castle demesne or are they from the earlier castle that was built in the 1650s."This is the second dig at the site, with a smaller excavation taking place in then the team found a ditch dated to the late bronze age "maybe two and a half thousand years ago", he said. "But 10cm below our feet we're going back 250 years."This year's dig only began a week ago and will continue until the end of the is hoped artefacts from three different eras will be site every day are first year archaeology students at Queen's University Belfast, while pupils from a host of local schools are also taking part. Aoife Lynch, a first year archaeology student at Queens University Belfast, is taking part in her first ever far she has found two floor tiles, which are yet to be dated/She is confident they are old due to the "red clay" at their centre. Arthur Redfern from Essex is a first year archaeology student at Queen's said the key to trowelling was to "keep shovelling the muck back and try not to look behind you at how much you have left to do"."It's so satisfying seeing it all unearth itself in front of your eyes," he said. Among the school groups coming to the site are St Patrick's Academy from Lisburn. Year 10 student Amy, who is hoping for a career in archaeology, said she loved activities like the dig in Moira. "It's interesting as most people wouldn't realise there could be something here," she 10 pupils Neil and Eoghan's dream find is in the absence of that they are enjoying the fieldwork."It is definitely more interesting being out here doing this," said well as the cobbles and walls, the team have found slates, pottery and coins. All items will be studied to ascertain their date. When the dig is over hundreds of sods will carefully cover the structure which will once again be hidden from view but will have offered up a greater understanding of what lies beneath.
BBC News
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Downpatrick: Erenagh Monastery site believed to be found after dig
Archaeologists believe they have found the site of a 12th Century monastery near Downpatrick, County Down, that was destroyed in 1177 by the Anglo-Norman knight John de Cistercian monastery, known as Erenagh, had been built 50 years prior to de Courcy's invasion of Ulster.A community excavation of the site earlier this month found sections of wall, pottery, bone and slate, as well as a 13th Century 850 years after it was razed to the ground with its resident monks killed, the secrets of Erenagh may have been brought to the surface. The two-week excavation was organised by the Community Archaeology Programme Northern Ireland (CAPNI) and offered a host of local school groups and aspiring Indiana Jones' of all ages and backgrounds the chance to work as an archaeologist. Erenagh's importance for Irish archaeology Brian Sloan, from Queen's University Belfast who was helping to guide the team, said Erenagh's significance was in it being one of the first Cistercian monasteries in Ireland. "They took a European model, so if you think of the old Irish monasteries like a Nendrum, you'd have a round tower with your church in the centre. "But with this you'd have a cloister. That's a series of buildings around the church that feed into the monastery." Originally built in 1127, the monastery operated for half a century before John de Courcy destroyed Sloan said he later built the cathedral at Inch Abbey as "an act of penance" and made that into a Cistercian ruins of Inch still stand on the other side of Downpatrick and, in recent years, were a major filming location for Game of year, a geophysical survey found that the Erenagh field, which is located just a few hundred yards from Ballynoe Stone Circle, was filled with anomalies. Three trenches were selected for excavation with volunteers digging, scraping and brushing deep into the earth in search of them were a group from South Eastern Regional College's Skills for Life and Work course, led by Anne Murphy."The course is an opportunity for students to gain GCSEs where the school system hasn't been able to help them do that," she said."We've 14 students here, which is the biggest attendance all week as everyone is very excited – some are looking for bars of gold." What did people find at the suspected monastery site? Bars of gold may have proven elusive, but the group did make those in the trench was Billie, who said she's been interested in archaeology since childhood."This is my second dig and I'm loving it," she said. "I've collected fossils and crystals since I was about nine. "We've found a few bits of slag and slate so far." Also in the trench was Eoin, who said: "We've found bits of slate which were the roof tiles so we're hoping to find more later on."I've always had an interest in palaeontology, but this is my first dig."In a separate trench further up the hill are friends and volunteers Valerie Shearer and Janice McHenry, who were deep in competition to find the best artefact."My most interesting piece is a little bit of stone, but I haven't got it checked yet so I don't now if it is valuable or rubbish," said Valerie. "I'd love to find a piece of pottery, but she beat me to it," said Janice. "It is very therapeutic because you aren't thinking of anything other than finding something."Among the finds at the dig were a section of wall, cut stones with a masons mark, pottery, slate and a Henry III coin dating from around of the dig will now study the findings, but they say they are confident radiocarbon analysis of the artefacts will confirm this was the location of Erenagh's long lost monastery.
