The Lake Dwellings of Ireland: Or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs.Wood-Martin, W. G. (William Gregory)
History
The Lake Dwellings of Ireland: Or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs.
Wood-Martin, W. G. (William Gregory)
Lake-dwellers and lake-dwellings -- Ireland
At about the same date as the Lagore crannog, that of Lough Gur, Co.
Limerick, became visible when the waters of the lake were lowered. The
existence of this artificial island in ancient times was traditionally
known to the neighbouring peasantry: the stones by which it was
overlaid were in places distinctly visible to a person passing over
them in a boat when the lake level was low and the water calm. A large
tripod composed of iron was at times plainly to be seen, and had
attracted Mr. Wakeman’s attention; but, from superstitious feelings
on the part of the boatmen by whom he was accompanied, no attempt at
its recovery was then made; it is said to be now in the collection of
the Royal Irish Academy. A number of antiquities have been from time
to time obtained from the site, and there was a vast collection of
bones; but, according to the evidence of a clergyman then living in the
neighbourhood of Bruff, there does not appear to have been any vestige
of staking on or around this crannog. Other remains of the same class
were brought to light in rapid succession, so that in 1857 no less than
forty-seven of them had been recorded: since that time the number has
increased to about 200, and every succeeding year adds to the total.
In 1853-4, owing principally to the writings of Keller, the entire
attention of archæologists was attracted to the lacustrine remains
of Switzerland, and it was the more easily diverted from the Irish
sites by the pronouncement of Sir William Wilde, that no stone, and
but few bronze weapons, had been found in them: he also suggested,
that from the ninth to the seventeenth century might be considered the
probable date of the lacustrine period in Ireland. These theories have
since been abundantly confuted; but they served at the time to check
investigation, because detracting from the impression of antiquity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account