Archaeology students from Gainsville, Florida, and Galway will join forces this summer in a bid to unearth the hidden history of Granard, Co Longford.
The team, under the direction of Dr Kieran O'Connor of the Archaeology Department, NUI Galway, will excavate the ruins of a deserted village close to the modern town of Granard. Earthworks on the site are believed to indicate the remains of around 30 dwellings and some small field boundaries. The month-long dig aims to help identify when the village was first populated and when and why it was abandoned.
Local historians believe the old walled town was razed to the ground during a fierce two-day battle between local chieftain Con O'Farrell and Edward Bruce in 1315.
The innovative project is the brainchild of Granard Area Action Group and has been funded by Longford Community Resources Ltd, which operates the Leader+ project in the county. Oliver Cassidy, the group's chairman, said locals were keen to understand whether the former town was related to a now disappeared castle, cited in older maps, or a huge motte built in 1199 which overshadows the town.
The Granard area is steeped in history with references to it found in the ancient annals. More than 90 ring forts have been identified in the area while the motte is one of the town's most notable landmarks. The excavation will coincide with a special series of archaeology-related events in the town, including public lectures on archaeology and local history studies, and field trips to areas of archaeological interest.
While local people are understandably eager to learn more about their town's past, those behind the project hope the excavation can contribute greatly to our understanding of medieval rural settlements.
"There's been really very little work done on rural settlement, especially in midlands and western Ireland between the 12th century and the 17th century in archaeological terms. There have been very few excavations," Dr O'Connor told the Longford Leader last week.
Excavations in rural areas so far have been small-scale operations, carried out in advance of planned developments.
TADGH CAREY