Archaeologists flock to Kilmokea Gardens
THE RICH history of the Kilmokea Gardens area in Great Island was explored as part of Heritage Week on Saturday.
Archaeology enthusiasts of all ages turned out to see members of the Sliabh Coillte Heritage Group conduct a geophysical survey using remote sensing in the Kilmokea Enclosure, Great Island under the direction of Kevin Barton, a Landscape and Geophysical Services expert from County Mayo.
The beautiful grounds of Emma and Mark Hewlett’s home made a picturesque setting for the afternoon of archaeological research.
The Kilmokea enclosure is recorded as an ecclesiastical enclosure from the early Christian period. There is also evidence from a nearby archaeological excavation to suggest the existence of a Bronze Age settlement and that the site was used by Vikings, Normans and also in the Medieval period.
Everyone in attendance was able to participate with the group to help peel back the various layers of history and help discover unrecorded archaeology by using LiDAR, earth resistance and magnetic susceptibility equipment.
Afterwards there was a presentation and interpretation of the day’s findings by Mr. Kevin Barton in Kilmokea house.
John Flynn of the Sliabh Coillte group said: ‘It went great. The weather was absolutely fantastic. The results are very interesting but we’re going to get a professional archaeologist to look over them before we come to any exact conclusions.’
The research conducted on Saturday followed on from research carried out in the Spring when a d shaped enclosure was discovered along with rocks from a collapsed building.
Mr Flynn said everyone from children to elderly archaeology enthusiasts, along with students of Archaeology, enjoyed the practical element of the day and the talk afterwards.
The group will also hold an evening talk by Mr Flynn entitled ‘What does the Kilmokea Enclosure Enclose?’ at the JFK Arboretum on Wednesday at 7 pm.
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