Archaeology

The growth of raised bogs began about 5,000 B.C. and during that period, oak, elm and alder came to occupy a dominant place in the forest vegetation.

The Stone Age people moved inland and about 3,400 B.C. established settlements at Lough Iron and Derravaragh. The weapons used by these Mesolithic people were made of compact black stone called chert . The Island of Clonava was a good settlement site in prehistoric times as it provided protection for its inhabitants since it was bounded on all sides by lake and bog, it also had valuable chert outcrops.

Among the peoples who arrived in Ireland during the Bronze Age ( 550-600 B.C.) were the Fir Bolg and Tuatha De Danann. According to legend some of the De Danann tribe settled at Lough Derravaragh. They were skilled artisans in metal, wood and stone.

Around 350 B.C. the Celts arrived from Europe and became effectively the dominant force in the whole island.

One of the most common field monuments in the vicinity of the lake was the Rath which dates from the early Iron Age. Raths were in most instances used as the farmers homestead surrounded by a circular earthen bank upon which a timber palisade was erected. In some instances they would also have an underground passage which could serve both as a store - room and a refuge in the event of an attack by marauding invaders.

Dugout canoe at Coolure

Black and white photograph of a dug out canoe being brought to the shore at Coolure.

© Sean Magee

Dugout canoe at Coolure
© Sean Magee

Dugout canoe at Coolure

Black and white photograph of a dug out canoe being brought to the shore at Coolure.

© Sean Magee

Enlarge image

Until the time of the government sponsored drainage scheme only three islands were visible on the surface of the lake now several more islands exist. These man made islands were constructed layer upon layer from boulders and can be viewed as the remains of ancient lake dwellings. From the Stone Age dwellings were erected over the surface of the lakes. To date over 200 lake dwellings have been located in various parts of the country.Lake dwellings are generally of two kinds pile structures and artificial islands. The pile structure known as a Crannog involved driving wooden piles through the shallow waters of the lake into the subsoil to support a platform upon which the houses were erected.

The first drainage scheme of the lake took place circa 1870 and it lowered the level of the lake by circa two metres. During the 1960s a further drainage initative lowered the lake by a further two metres . It was during a government led drainage initative that three well preserved dugout canoes were unearthed which experts from the National Museum of Ireland stated were some 1,400 years old. The principal means of transport for the lake dwellers in the old days were dugout canoes which are tree trunks split longitudinally in two with the flat side hollowed out to form a boat for the transport of goods and people.