Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist

I don't really keep a list of archaeological sites that I'd love to see fully excavated, but if I did Tullyhogue Fort, Co. Tyrone would be up there! Today, it's a series of grassy banks with a wonderfully waterlogged ditch. It would be a pain to excavate safely, but the potential for well preserved organic artefacts and environmental evidence could be huge! The site probably started off in the prehistoric period (it's a hill in Tyrone - I defy you to not find evidence of prehistoric activity!), and by the Early Medieval a ringfort/rath had been built there. It was, evidently, an important place in the landscape as each new O'Neill was obliged to schlep over to Tullyhogue from Dungannon to be formally inaugurated by an O'Cahan wielding a shoe. The origins and significance of the 'shoe ritual' are obscure, but appear to derive from the 1979 epic movie Monty Python's Life of Brian. OK ... I'm joking, but have you read the nonsense some prehistorians...

I've been busy ... busy being happy. Busy being happy and not writing ... I've been making gin [ here ] I've been making bowls [ here ] I've even got some bees [ here ] but most of all, I've been watching movies [ here ] ... so many movies! However, it's time to start releasing some of the movies that I've made of archaeological sites around the countryside. With that in mind, here's a meditative wander through Portora Castle, Co. Fermanagh. Portora is a Plantation Period castle and was built around 1612. I've written a little about it before & published some 3D photos, as well as recounted my part in the excavation of the site back in 1997 [ here ]. For now, enjoy this soothing, immersive 360 degree video  tour around this peaceful castle on the shores of Lough Erne ... You can view this 360-degree video on an ordinary browser or on the dedicated YouTube app for your smartphone. However, for best results we recommend the more immers...