Sir, – Sylvia Thompson's article about the campaign to showcase Ireland's Ancient East was fascinating ("What's so new about Ireland's Ancient East?", August 6th).
One of the potential jewels for the campaign are the remains of Rathdown medieval village, which lie under the grass just above the North Beach in Greystones.
Rathdown Castle was built around the time of the Norman invasion. Surrounding it was a village of at least 20 houses, a mill and a creek leading into a natural harbour. The area was declared a national monument in 1992.
Greystones is 150 years or so old, but Rathdown village, castle and mill date back over 700 years. This was the homeland of the Mac Giolla Mo-Cholmoc clan and gives its name to the barony of Rathdown, which extended from the local Three Trout river to Merrion Gates in Dublin. The site is being seriously compromised by the erosion of the North Beach.
An aerial survey by Cambridge University in the 1970s showed cropmarks that indicate Rathdown is a complex site combining castle, church and house plots which form a nucleated medieval village or town. According to a publication of the Friends of Historic Rathdown in 1993, “No deserted settlements of this period have been comprehensively excavated in Ireland, and none other than Rathdown are known to be ‘land-fall’ sites. At Rathdown considerable structural evidence is likely to have survived.”
The late Prof FX Martin of UCD, in a forward to the 1993 publication Ancient Rathdown and Saint Crispin's Cell, wrote: "The recent discoveries at Rathdown confirm it to be a major medieval site of national and international importance. This treasure is an important part of our national Irish heritage and requires careful nurturing and development". He also wrote that "the Rathdown site has obvious potential as a tourist attraction".
The erosion stakes are higher each winter. Time for action to preserve medieval Rathdown for Ireland’s Ancient East. – Yours, etc,
FRANK KAVANAGH,
Greystones, Co Wicklow.