Geospatial Data of Archaeological Sites in County Louth, Essay Example

A Map of County Louth Showing Archaeological Sites

County Louth has many archaeological sites dating as far back as the 10^th century. However, the map below shows only thirty of these sites:

The map above shows the locations of the following ancient sites:

1. Ladywell Shrine
2. Lisnavaragh Rath
3. Long Womans Grave
4. Clochafarmore Standing Stone (Chúchalainn’s Stone)
5. Old Mellifont Abbey
6. Magdalene Tower
7. Monasterboice High Crosses
8. Termonfeckin High Cross
9. Kilwirra Church Ruins
10. Rockmarshall Court Tomb
11. Long Womans Grave
12. King John’s Castle
13. Proleek Dolmen
14. Mansfieldstown Church
15. Baltray Standing Stones
16. Roodstown Castle
17. Dowth Passage Tomb
18. Termonfeckin Castle
19. St James Well
20. County Museum Dundalk
21. Roche Castle
22. Brú na Bóinne
23. Carlingford Priory
24. St Laurence Gate
25. Jumping Church
26. Louth Churches and Oratory
27. Hill of Faughart
28. Millmount
29. Townley Hall Main House
30. Knowth (Brady 2016; Manning 2020; Mytum 2018).

County Louth is awash with several archaeological sites (Aalen, Whelan, and Stout 2011; Bailey and Waters 2020). The current paper provides geospatial data of six sites, namely Kilwirra Church Ruins, King John’s Castle, Rockmarshall Court Tomb, Termonfeckin Castle, Proleek Dolmen, Mansfieldstown Church, and Termonfeckin Castle. Notably, polygons and lines were useful for identifying these sites as observed from the top (bird’s eye view) using Google Earth.

Description of the Sites

Kilwirra Church Ruins

The following is a polygon image (bird’s eye view) of the Kilwirra Church Ruins:

The above measurements – established using polygon and lines – are for the compound within which the Kilwirra church ruins are located. People can access these overgrown ruins using a well-conditioned road passing nearby. The site is on a small knoll surrounded by farmland next to the Cooley Mountains and is built using coursed limestone boulders (Kilwirra Medieval Church n.d.). There is a holy well nearby. To access the site, one travels east of road R175, making a right turn on Templeton signage. The signage is 1.7km from the R175 road.

Rockmarshall Court Tomb

The Rockmarshall Court Tomb is also one of the famous archaeological sites in the County Louth. Below is the bird’s eye view image of this site:

The tomb is in the middle of the field, and thus, people access it from this direction. The arc of the court is on the Northeast end of the site. The low stones – some have fallen – form four narrow chambers. The site is located in Carlingford on road R174, approximately 7km from road R173. A private road emerging from road R174 leads to the site (Rockmarshall n.d.). A person intending to access the site can drive to the site using the direction mentioned.

Termonfeckin Castle

Termonfeckin Castle was a monastic site founded towards the end of the 7^th century. The castle was damaged massively due to several rebellions and attacks (Termonfeckin Castle 2017). Although the castle’s demolition occurred finally in 1830, the site still has a tower about three storeys tall. The ruins are located about 7.5km from road R166. Below is the bird’s view image showing the compound of the entire site:

King John’s Castle

King John’s Castle is one of the famous sites in the County Louth and is located next to   Carlingford Harbour (Painter 2020). Below is the bird’s eye view of the site:

Archaeologists believe that King John’s Castle was built in the 12^th century (King John’s Castle n.d.). The cast is located on the rock outcrop overlooking the Carlingford Lough, making it a domineering structure along the harbor and in the town. It is believed that King John of  England sojourned at this castle in 1210AD (King John’s Castle n.d.). Further, history reveals that it was the first stone house in the town, spearheading other stone houses in the town.

Proleek Dolmen

Proleek is a dolmen that is part of swathes of County Louth’s national monuments. Below is the bird’s eye view of the dolmen, showing the parameter and area of the compound:

Proleek dolmen is located in Cooley Peninsula. It is about 3m high and has a colossal capstone estimated to weigh 35 tons (Proleek Dolmen n.d.). The two front stones are 2m high. Also, Proleek is close to a wedge tomb dating back to the Bronze Age.

Mansfieldstown Church

Mansfieldstown Church is a medieval church that is currently part of Ireland’s national monuments. Below is a bird’s eye view of the site, showing its parameter and area:

Archaeologists believe that this church dates back to the 15th century, although significant additions and altercations changed it in the 19th century (Mansfieldstown Church n.d.). For instance, its north and south windows are believed to date as recently as the 19^th century despite its stone masks being of the late medieval epoch. It has a bell-cote at its west end (Mansfieldstown Church n.d.). Most of its memorial graveyards date back to the 19^th century, with a few appearing in the preceding century.

Local and County Maps

The local and county maps are essential because they guide the people intending to visit the sites. The local maps of the mentioned archaeological sites are attached below:

Local Maps

Kilwirra Church Ruins

Rockmarshall Court Tomb

Termonfeckin Castle

King John’s Castle

Proleek Dolmen

Mansfieldstown Church

The County

Explanation of the Geographical Factors

Kilwirra Church Ruins

The Kilwirra Church Ruins was an isolated structure, currently surrounded by uninhabited land. Perhaps, this church’s developers envisioned a future increase in population that could demand bigger structures, leaving more space for possible expansion. The data from Google Earth shows it is 17m above the sea level. Moreover, it is only about 650m from the Templetown beach. Historians say that the church’s primary role was to host the pilgrims heading to Jerusalem (Kilwirra Medieval Church n.d.). The church’s location next to the holy well was ideal to provide water for the large congregant that stayed at the church enroute to Jerusalem.

Rockmarshall Court Tomb

The Rockmarshall Court Tomb was located between a hill and a beachfront. Data from Google Earth shows that it is 50m above sea level. Its location near the hill was probably crucial to isolate it from residential places (Woodman 2016). Moreover, it is approximately 700m from the beach. The terrain is moderately flat, making it a perfect ground for burying the dead.

Termonfeckin Castle

The ruins are located about 1km from the beachfront and elevate 21m above the sea level. The castle was close to the water source, which could serve the nobles living in the place. Further, the castle was slightly on a raised ground, an ideal location for observing the land’s enemies.

King John’s Castle

King John’s Castle served both as a residential and security place. The cast was located along the Carlingford Lough, a strategic location for easy accessibility (Lafaye 2017). Google Earth shows that it is 9m above sea level.

Proleek Dolmen

The Proleek dolmen is located in an isolated place, 17m above the sea and approximately 4500m from the seafront – Muir Eireann sea. The cremated remains were placed at this dolmen, and therefore, its isolated location was ideal (Mulrooney 2019).

Mansfieldstown Church

The Mansfieldstown Church is located in a residential area, 15m above the sea, and approximately 6000m from the seafront – Muir Eireann sea. The location was ideal for pulling many people from around.

References

Aalen, F. A. A., Whelan, K. and Stout, M., 2011. Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork University Press. Cork. Ireland. Older editions available too

Bailey, F., and Waters, R., 2020. Archaeological and built heritage assessment of the proposed Boyne Greenway: Drogheda to Mornington. www.meath.ie/system/files/media/file-uploads/2020-07/Archaeological%20and%20Built%20Heritage%20Assessment%20Report.pdf

Brady, C., 2016. An Archaeological Survey at the Church of Kildemock, Millockstown, County Louth. Journal of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society, 28(4), pp.473–489.

King John’s Castle n.d. Carlingford and Cooley Peninsula. [online]. https://carlingford.ie/locations/king-johns-castle/

Kilwirra Medieval Church n.d. Megalithic Ireland. [online]. Available from: http://www.megalithicireland.com/Rockmarshall%20Court%20Tomb.html

Lafaye, A.J., 2017. Kilmallock Borough and Dominican Priory: Planning, patronage, and urban life in Medieval Ireland.

Manning, C., 2020. Archaeology in Ireland’s journals, 2019. Archaeology Ireland, 34(1), pp.34–36.

Mansfieldstown Church n.d. Irish Antiquities. [online]. http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/louth/mansfieldstown/mansfieldstownchurch.html

Mulrooney, J., 2019. Book Review-Patrick Radden Keefe, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (New York: Doubleday, 2019). Bridgewater Review, 38(2), pp.37-38.

Mytum, H.C., 2018. Nativity scenes on gravestones in County Louth, Ireland. Church Monuments, 32, pp.121–151.

Painter, S., 2020. The Reign of King John. JHU Press.

Proleek Dolmen n.d. Louth Land of Legends. [online]. https://www.visitlouth.ie/explore-and-do/explore-louth/ancient-sites-louth/proleek-dolmen.html

Rockmarshall, n.d. Megalithic Ireland. [online]. Available from: http://www.megalithicireland.com/Rockmarshall%20Court%20Tomb.html

Termonfeckin Castle. 2017. Ireland in Ruins. [online]. http://irelandinruins.blogspot.com/2017/09/termonfeckin-castle-co-louth.html

Woodman, P.C., 2016. Chapter two, the introduction of cattle into prehistoric Ireland: Fresh perspectives Peter C. Woodman. Cattle in Ancient and Modern Ireland: Farming Practices, Environment and Economy, p.12.