Three Castle Head– West Cork
Author: Gabriella Miller | Major: Anthropology | Semester: Summer 2025
This summer I had the amazing opportunity to participate in an archaeological field school program with the Irish Heritage School, located in Birr County Offaly, Ireland. Ireland has always been a top travel destination for me, and after this program, I’m sure that I will be a frequent visitor there. I was drawn to the program because my degree requires a field school and because who wouldn’t want to visit castles, monasteries, and pubs? I was also interested in Ireland because of the rich, ancient history and combination of the Gaelic and Catholic culture. I had the privilege of spending 31 days of my summer across the Atlantic, learning the traditional and modern skills of my chosen trade.
The program was divided into three main learning components of history, community, and skills. The first week was spent by learning the geology and history of the midlands through field trips and lectures by specialists. We traveled to the Gal Ros bog and the Silver River with Dr. Stephan Mandal, co-founder of the Irish Heritage School. Here we not only learned about how the last glacial maximum shaped Ireland, but we saw it in person. Then, we toured multiple castle sites with Caimin O’Brien, a native of Birr and published archaeologist and historian. He taught us the architectural differences between English built hall houses and Gaelic built tower houses. By the end of his lectures that covered building techniques, cultural customs, medieval hygiene, local history, and modern reductionism, my head was spinning.
Thankfully, the next two days were community service. We tidied and mowed down the overgrowth at St. Brendan’s, a medieval monastery and cemetery in Birr. This site had foundations from the 6th century with architectural additions and cemeteries up to the late 19th century. The next day was spent prepping Clonoghil for excavation and survey. Clonoghil was our primary excavation site located in the middle of a cattle pasture. The purpose of the excavation was to determine whether the structure was a 13th century hall house, or 15th century tower house. By the end of the program, we were fairly certain that it was a hall house, due to an entryway we found.
The first two weeks were over, and rotations had begun. Our large group of 21 was divided into three smaller groups, each spending 3 days on a section. I was in the group that excavated first. The program director, Dr. Denis Shine, taught us how to fill feature sheets, the permit process in Ireland, and how to set up for a dig. Then, we removed the grass and topsoil. We were only allowed to dig down to the first set of rubble. A nice rhythm of dig, sift, and record was set; I was hooked. I felt so much joy from my minimal finds. One of them being tiny glass shards from the 17th century (a time that the castle was occupied by an English family and rented out to French glassmakers). With these finds, any fears that I was in the wrong field vanished. Excavation wrapped up quicker than I wanted it to. We photographed the layer of our cutting and moved on to survey with Richard Reid. We learned the traditional skills of planning and plotting, and the modern one of operating the total station. I won’t bore my readers with the technical side, but these skills were important to learn, and the survey was used to record and understand the site.
Our usual rotations were interrupted by a representative of the Experimental Archaeology department from University College Dublin. The textile expert and paleoecologist, Dr. Anita Radini, taught us how to spin wool and make cordage from nettle. This was followed by a tour of the National Museum of Ireland, and UCD’s archaeology department. Our final rotation was Photogrammetry with Dan O’Meara. We spent the next three days touring castles and monasteries again, but this time with the objective of creating 3D models. I was handed a camera and instructed on how and which angles to photograph. I took 430 photos to create a 3d model of an unlabeled and patterned, ex situ (or out of context) grave slab. Our final grade was based on participation, journal entries, scale drawings, and a presentation over any site within Offaly. We wrapped up the program with presentations and a farewell party.
The weekdays were expertly scheduled and planned but our weekends were free to travel and explore. I had so many great experiences during off days. I went solo hiking, toured local castles with friends, and even got my first tattoo in remembrance of my first dig. I also did not miss out on the Irish pub culture. My friends and I frequented Kelly’s, a local pub, on their trad music nights every Thursday. I was even “Guinness Certified” by the owner’s son, Eoin Kelly. One moment that stood out from the rest during this trip was visiting the Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall, Co. Offaly. This was a petrol station with an upstairs museum of American presidents that have Irish ancestry– Former President Obama included. I loved the statue of Barack and Michelle Obama at the front, with the signs above head saying to “Call again”. This was so much fun for my friends and I; it definitely made that weekend memorable.
I am so honored to have participated in the excavation of a 13th century castle. The experience of visiting a new country was surreal, and I cannot wait to return. It will take some time to adjust back to life here. I will miss the Tesco’s and nationwide affordable public transportation. I am so grateful to have seen the beautiful midland landscape of rolling eskers, vast bogs, and striking ruins. My 31 days in Ireland were so special to me, and I’ll remember them always.