The Iron Age In Offaly

Native Irish Absorb European Celtic Influence

Some time around 500BC, Irish people moved from a bronze-making culture to one based on iron. This new technology appeared gradually and slowly displaced the earlier bronze-based technology. This displacement may have given rise to a new form of society with new social and economic relationships.

The Iron Age was traditionally seen by archaeologists as a time when a European Iron Age culture, known as the Celts, came into Ireland and displaced the native population. The arrival of these new people heralded the appearance of new artifacts manufactured from iron along with a new art style and language. However, recent research has suggested that we should now look at the Irish Iron Age as a time when the native Irish population were influenced by the European Celtic culture. Instead of having a new way foisted upon them, the Iron Age Irish gradually absorbed the technology and lifestyle of Continental Europe.

This new lifestyle emerged around 700-500 BC, when a new culture, characterised by a war-like character and a love of personal adornments began to flourish in Western Europe. A distinctive set of artifacts and a non-classical curvilinear abstract art form were central to this new cultural identity. This common European culture was labelled 'La Tene' after an excavation on Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland, which had been the scene for ritual deposition of artifacts. These objects display the distinctive art form which have also been found in Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe. However each region has its own local style which reflects the local population's native ideas- giving each country its distinctive but comparable culture.
This explains why, in Ireland, we see the earlier traditions and artifacts of the Bronze Age mixed in with the new artifacts of the Iron Age and the continuing use of earlier Bronze Age monuments such as burial mounds.
This is the period which saw the emergence of Celtic Ireland, described later by Early Christian monks. It was a society with a chariot driving warrior aristocracy engaged in cattle raiding and warfare. On the continent, this culture was eventually overtaken by the Roman conquest of Britain and Europe.

The fact that the Romans did not invade Scotland and Ireland meant that the Celtic culture continued to develop without being taken over by the ways of the Romans. Instead, Ireland retained its distinctive Celtic character, while at the same time absorbing new changes throughout Roman Europe.

Absent from our landscape are the large fortified settlements and inhumation cemeteries distinctive of the European Celts. In fact, Irish archaeology has very little knowledge of the settlement of this period, and we are only beginning to research the daily lives of the ordinary people. Most of our information comes from artifacts, which have been either excavated or found accidentally and these items tend to belong to the higher ranks of society.

One of the main sources of iron used in the Iron Age possibly came from bog iron ore which is found in abundant supply in the bogs of Offaly, and which was still being extracted in Derrygreenagh bog up until the late 1950s. This period saw the decline of bronze weapons such as swords and socketed axeheads and there was less emphasis too on the ritual deposition of metal in wet locations.

There was also a decline in the amount of gold areftacts being produced. However, one of the most important finds from this period is the Broighter Hoard found during ploughing of fields in 1896 on the shores of Lough Foyle in Co. Derry. This hoard contained seven gold objects including torcs, a wire necklace, a gold cauldron and a magnificent gold model boat complete with oars, anchor and mast. Nonetheless, the most spectacular item of personal adornment of La Tene style found in Ireland was uncovered in a bog near Clonmacnoise.

The Clonmacnoise Torc, a stunning example of Iron age La Tene style personal adornment.

 

It is a stunning example of prehistoric craftsmanship. Dating back to about 300 BC, the gold torc was formed by by two curved gold tubes made from rolled and bent strips of gold. The seam, which is along the concave edge, is soldered and polished. A large fused buffer feature is at the front of the torc. It is flanked at each side by cone shaped features.
Both in decoration and form the torc is closely comparable to continental examples. It is likely to be an import from Gaul rather than a locally produced item.

This find was dated to between the first century BC and the third century AD, and provides evidence for our maritime tradition and the important role the sea played in trade and communication with the outside world. One of the necklaces came from the Mediterranean, possibly Egypt, and shows how widespread the contacts were between Ireland and the rest of Europe. Evidence for more widespread contact has shown up in the archaeological excavation at Navan fort in Co.Armagh which produced the skull of a barbary ape of North African origin.

As mentioned earlier, the art style of the Celts was of the utmost importance in their cultural identity, and the Turoe stone located near Loughrea in Co. Galway is one of the finest examples of this art style.

A rotary quern stone used for grinding cereals from Clonmacnoise also displays evidence of this new art style. Other new objects such as fibulae or safety pins, dress pins, glass beads and horns or trumpets decorated with the curvilinear art, also make their appearance in this archaeological period. Artifacts associated with horses, such as bridle bits and harness mounts, begin to dominate evidence for this period suggesting the important role the horse played in Celtic society.

At Corlea Bog, Co. Longford, where there is an excellent interpretative centre, there is on display an impressive timber road dating from 148 BC which measures over 2km long and is up to four metre wide. This togher illustrates the importance of horse transport, probably by chariot, in the daily lives of the Celts. Many examples of chariots have been found throughout Europe, but to this day no such item has been found in Ireland.

Offaly's peatland base have provided physical evidence of a number of toghers. Among the more notable toghers in the county was uncovered during ploughing at Ballykilleen near Edenderry.

During certain periods, crop marks are visible indicating the contours of the togher which stretches in a northerly direction to Ballykilleen fort. Most of the artifacts described above belong to the higher ranks of Irish society and they illustrate the wealth and extensive contacts the tribal leaders had throughout Europe. A similar picture emerges with the known monuments from the Iron Age. These include the Hill of Tara, Co. Meath, Navan Fort, Co. Armagh, Dun Ailinne, Co Kildare and Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon.

All of these monuments represent the sacred landscape of our Iron Age ancestors, and are often referred to as Royal sites. These monuments consist of large spaces, often with impressive views of the surrounding countryside, enclosed by an inner ditch and outer bank, encompassing a sacred area devoted to the worship of their ancestors or gods. Navan fort occupies an area of about 15 acres, while Knockaulin Hillfort in Co. Kildare occupies an area of over 30 acres. These large hilltop enclosures and hillforts appear to be the centres for the ritual ceremonies of the Iron Age rulers.

Excavations of some hillforts have shown how they can have their origins in the preceding Bronze Age, possibly confirming the transition by native populations from one period to the next. The Hill of Croghan in north Offaly and the hillfort at Aghancon near Roscrea may have been two centres of ritual activity in Co Offaly during the Iron Age. Bronze Age burial mounds, known as barrows are either re-used or newly constructed as coverings for cremation burials.

An impressive hillfort encompassing some 14 acres at Ballycurragh/Glebe near Aghancon - a likely setting for ritual activity during the Iron Age.

A good example of such a mound, which may date from the Iron Age, is the burial mound (already featured in part 1) located on the top of Croghan Hill.

It's hilltop location, with panoramic views and its close relationship with the O'Connor tribe of North Offaly, suggest that this hill may have been the focus for ritual activity during the Iron Age although it may have been used from the Neolithic time onwards. Other important hillforts are located on the summits of Cumber Hill and Knocknaman both located in the Slieve Bloom mountains.

Linear earthworks are another monument type found in Offaly and consists of intermittent stretches of a bank and ditch over a long distance, sometimes between several counties, also appear during this period. One of the best known examples is the Black Pigs Dyke in Northern Ireland which runs for a distance of 130 miles, and possibly acts as a boundary ditch between the ancient territory of Ulster and the rest of Ireland.

There are several examples of linear earthworks in Co. Offaly which are known locally as the split hills near Clonmacnoise, the ancient entrenchments at Killurin or Cromwell's lines, a linear earthwork between the Blueball and Mucklagh.

Unfortunately, in the case of the Killurin and Mucklagh earthworks, although recorded in previous ordinance survey maps, there are now little visible remains present at ground level. In Clonmacnoise, it's believed that the earthwork was longer than its present remains.

As the Iron Age comes to a close, we begin to enter the historic period of our past where the written word becomes the dominant method of transferring ideas from one generation to the next, in other words, we move from the prehistoric to the historic period.

Leamanaghan Cows And Peculiar Stones

Irish Sagas or our heroic tales about Cu Chulainn and the Fianna have been described as a window on our Iron Age past. These heroic tales describe a fantasy version of society which may have elements of real Iron Age life incorporated into their telling. Tales such as the Cattle Raid of Cooley show us the important role cattle played in Irish society. Several Offaly folktales tales confirm the important role cattle played in Irish life and how up until the early 1900s the cow still occupied a special place in the minds of Offaly people.

The 'Cow Story' of Lemanaghan and the story of St. Ciaran's cow are two tales from Offaly which highlights this important role;

St. Manchan's cow was a famous beast belonging to St. Manchan in 'Liath' which gave copious supplies of milk to all who came in need. The monks in nearby Kilmanaghan, not to be outdone in generosity, decided that they'd steal the cow and dispose of her, thus ending the miracle of liath. St. Manchan and his monks followed the footprints of their cow to Kilmanaghan and found her already cut up in a pot. St. Manchan blessed the pot and lo! The cow came to life again. The cow resumed her supply of milk to the poor of Lemanaghan and strange to relate; milk is never sold in Lemanaghan, even to this day.

Another story records a belief about a peculiar stone in Clonmacnoise known locally as St. Ciaran's stone, which is located one mile north of Clonmacnoise on the Clonascra road. The story goes that when St. Ciaran came to Clonmacnoise he took with him his cows. The cow was known far and near by everyone for she was indeed very famous for supplying milk. Upon hearing this the people of Coosan became envious and made up a horrid plan to steal the cow. So early one morning two men came to Ciaran's pasture and stole the cow.

Then they beat her with a stick to make her run for fear they would be caught but in their hurry the cow fell on a flag and her two knees sunk into it leaving the impression of two circular shaped holes. However when the cow got on her feet again she journeyed on until she came to a river in Bloomhill. She swam across the river but she had not gone very far from it when she lay down on a flat stone to rest for a little while. Ever since then the people passing that way make the sign of the cross upon this stone with their foot for it is an old belief that it would not be right to pass without doing so.

The story goes on to record how St. Ciaran recovered his beloved cow. It is recorded that several cures for headaches and toothaches were worked at St. Ciaran's stone by using the water which collects in the cow's tracks.