Archaeology Field Trip to West Cork

Last weekend my archaeology class had a field trip out to West Cork. Because the class is so large, our professor divided us into two groups based on last name. Well, initially this was a huge disappointment. It somehow turns out that almost everyone I've met at UCC happens to have a last name between A and N. Except, obviously, myself. So I was like, alright, great, flying solo, we can work with this--you just need to activate a little social know-how (Social know-how? Even in the future nothing works) and it will turn out alright. So I got on the bus, and sat down next to the window, and fully expected to fall asleep on our way to the first destination. Except I didn't. I ended up talking to other students for the entirety of the bus rides there and back, and met some really nice people. And it was great.

The first place we visited was Garranes Ringfort. This was a potentially royal ringfort with pottery dating back to the 5th - 7th centuries. It has quite a few trenches. Also, it's just hanging out in the middle of a farmer's field. For a long time, farmers where hesitant to work fields around ringfort ruins for fear of disturbing the fairy folk thought to make their homes in the mounds.

The second place was Ballinacarriga Tower House, supposedly older than its 1585 date. It's got what was probably a Catholic chapel on the top floor--probably on the top floor because the practice of Catholicism was outlawed to make way for Protestantism at the time. Which didn't work out so well. Currently, Ireland is around 85% Catholic.

Below: View from the top floor of the tower house.

Below: Look carefully at the stone and you will see the sculptures. In the second, there are representations of the Crucifixion and the Instruments of the Passion.

The third place we visited was Coppinger's Court. It was a 4-story house built in 1616 and is in the process of falling down. To get there, we slogged through several mud puddles in a farm field and jumped an electric fence. Our professor just stands next to it and goes, oh yeah, well that's live, so...be careful. And we all felt somewhat adventurous. The cows watched our muddy splashing with amusement. 

Though there were no restrictions on where the cows could wander, all students had to stay at least a gable's length from the house. Well, this rebel was up close before our professor got there to tell us to stay away, but he was very adamant that the house was very dangerous and we were NOT to go inside. That said, he then tell us he's going to check out the newly-fallen chimney that was still standing this past fall. And wanders inside. Um, I'll meet you back at the bus, he says. Indiana Jones has spoken.

Our last stop was to the Drombeg Stone Circle and nearby fulacht fiadh. The fulacht fiadh was probably a place where the ancient Irish cooked large portions of meat in a water-filled trench using heated stones.

The fulacht fiadh:

\

The stone circle:

It is possible that, in more recent history, the stone circle was sometimes used as a site of Catholic mass. Many masses were held out in the country when Catholicism was outlawed in favor of Protestantism.