The serendipitous discovery by locals of skeletal remains at a seventh-century monastic site in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn’s mass felling of trees last January has further established the rich heritage of the peatlands in the Co Offaly townland of Lemanaghan.
The discovery has also highlighted the conflicting realities of cultural conservation and the proposed development of a wind farm by partners Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables on this vast bogland.
With more than 800 identified sites and a broad array of artefacts, this landscape holds one of the most significant treasuries of wetland archaeology in Europe. Now, with the publication of the results of the excavation and analysis of the human remains, which lay amid the roots of the fallen trees, this latest find significantly adds to the rich repository.
For Aoife Phelan, a local teacher and member of the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group, the tension between the conservation of these sites and the proposed development of about 15 turbines up to 220m in height has been brought into stark focus for locals once again.
She confirmed last
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.