Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist

  I’ve taken my 360-degree 3D Vuze camera to some sites that are interesting and important to me, but they’re hardly well known. That changes now! A while back I had the opportunity to go to Tara, Co. Meath and play around up there. Unfortunately, the camera wasn’t as excited to be on this important site as I was, and insisted on repeatedly cutting out after only a sort amount of time filming. For all that, I think they resulting short clips are worth presenting to give a feeling for the place. If you don’t already know, the Hill of Tara is an ancient ceremonial and burial site and I will not attempt to paraphrase the entire Wiki page here, but go have a read for yourself [ here ]. I’ve compiled the tour into a consecutive YouTube playlist [ here ], or you can access each video clip individually here: Standing Stones in Churchyard Pt. I [0:15] Standing Stones in Churchyard Pt. II [0:30] Ráth Chaelchon (Sloping Trenches) [0:13] Banqueting Hall [0:13] Ráth na Seanadh ...

There’s something of an inevitability about it … if I start talking about Killogilleen [ here ], you can be sure that I’ll soon get around to blathering on about Killora. So, as I was pottering about east Galway with my 3D 360 Vuze camera, it was no surprise that I’d follow up my visit to Killogilleen with one to Killora. What I say about one I repeat about the other … there’s noting ostensibly special about these sites – to a greater or lesser degree they’re pretty much typical of rural west of Ireland church sites. Both Killora & Killogilleen have standing church ruins dating from around the late 15 th century, with tantalizing hints of earlier activity, possibly going back to the 13 th century. What sets them apart from others is that fact that they’ve been the focus of (sporadic) research for nearly 30 years. I’m reminded of an episode of the TV show QI that asked the question ‘Where Is the Best Place to Discover A New Species?’ [ here ]. In amongst answers both comedic and ...

There’s probably nothing to really recommend a visit to Killogilleen church and graveyard, near Craughwell, Co. Galway. It’s rather typical of traditional burial sites in rural west of Ireland … there’s a ruined 15 th century church, there’s dated memorials going back to the 1600s, and continuing as late as the 1980s. You seen one you seen ‘em all! Right? … not this time! Back in 1996 I was employed on a F Á S Scheme to oversee the cutting back of the ivy and a general cleanup of the site. I was also tasked with compiling a book of the gravestone inscriptions on the site [ available here ]. One day in July I got called over to see ‘something interesting’ that had just been found … I’d have a few of these calls and for a variety of reasons. Some were cool architectural fragments that were reused as grave markers, some were just rocks (used as grave markers) … in a graveyard? Who'd believe it? I think it’s fair to say that I wasn’t filled with tingling anticipation at this latest di...