Ancient Fields
The Céide Fields, located near Ballycastle in North Mayo, are one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. They are one of the oldest examples of field systems in the world.
Céide Fields, Mayo
The Céide Fields are the oldest known field systems in the world, over 5,500 years old. If you look carefully at this photograph you can see the stone walls which oulined the fields and buildings of one of Ireland's earliest farms.
Courtesy of DúchásCéide Fields, Mayo
Courtesy of Dúchás
Courtesy of Dúchás
Céide Fields, Mayo
The Céide Fields are the oldest known field systems in the world, over 5,500 years old. If you look carefully at this photograph you can see the stone walls which oulined the fields and buildings of one of Ireland's earliest farms.
Courtesy of DúchásIn the 1930s, a local man named Patrick Caulfield noticed something unusual when he was cutting turf in the bog. As the peat was cut away piles of stone were revealed. The stones were arranged in a way that suggested they had been placed there by humans. Because it takes many thousands of years for bog to form, Mr. Caulfield knew that people had made these piles many, many years before.
Some years passed and Mr. Caulfield's son, who had become an archaeologist, carried out further investigations into the stones in the bog. It was not long before the importance of the site became clear.
Archaeological evidence showed that farming had been practised in the area more than five thousand years before. These early Mayo farmers divided land up with stone walls, cultivated their fields, kept animals and grew crops.
Céide Fields Visitor Centre
© Mayo Naturally
© Mayo Naturally
The Céide Fields are very important because they tell us much about how Stone Age people lived. The archaeological remains give a unique insight into the daily lives of some of Mayo's earliest inhabitants.