List of archaeological sites in County Fermanagh facts for kids

County Fermanagh, located in Northern Ireland, is a land filled with amazing secrets from the past! It's like a giant outdoor museum, packed with ancient sites that tell us stories about people who lived here thousands of years ago. Archaeology is the study of these old places and objects. It helps us understand how ancient people lived, what they ate, what their homes looked like, and how they buried their dead.

Fermanagh is special because it has so many different kinds of archaeological sites. From ancient homes to mysterious burial places and strange stone monuments, there's a lot to discover. Let's explore some of the cool things archaeologists have found in County Fermanagh!

Ancient Homes and Forts

Many of the sites in Fermanagh are places where people lived or defended themselves. These include different types of forts and settlements.

Ringforts: Homes of the Past

Ringforts, often called raths, were common homes for families in Ireland from the Iron Age to early Christian times (around 500 BC to 1000 AD). They were circular areas enclosed by earthen banks and ditches, built to protect people and their animals.

• Aghaherrish has a counterscarp rath. This means it had an extra bank on the outside of the ditch.
• Aghahoorin features a bivallate rath, which means it had two sets of banks and ditches for stronger protection.
• Beagho and Carney Hill are examples of platform raths, which were built on raised areas.
• You can find many raths across the county, like at Ballygonnell & Rabron and Cavantillycormick. These show us how people lived and kept safe long ago.

Crannogs: Island Homes

Imagine living on an island in the middle of a lake! That's what people did on crannogs. These were artificial islands, often built from wood, stones, and earth, in lakes or swamps. They were easy to defend and provided a safe place to live.

• Bunnahone Lough has three crannogs, showing a small community living on the water.
• Carrick Lough and Drumcorban also have crannogs.
• Lough Eyes is particularly interesting, with six crannogs found in its waters! This tells us that these lake dwellings were a very popular way of life in ancient Fermanagh.

Cashels: Stone Forts

Similar to raths, cashels were circular enclosures, but they were built using stone walls instead of earth. They were also used as homes and defensive sites.

• Aghanaglack has a cashel, showing how people used local stone for building.
• Killykeeghan has several cashels, suggesting a strong, protected settlement.
• Mullan and Meenawargy share a cashel known as Cashelbane.

Other Fortifications

• Aghalane Castle and Crom Castle are examples of later, medieval castles, showing how defensive structures changed over time.
• Monea Castle is another important castle site, with its own gardens and avenue.
• Trannish Island even has an artillery fort, a more modern type of defense.

Ancient Burial Places

County Fermanagh is home to many ancient tombs and burial mounds, giving us clues about how people honored their dead.

Megalithic Tombs: Giant's Graves

Megalithic tombs are ancient burial chambers made from large stones. Many are locally known as "Giant's Graves" because people thought giants built them!

• Court tombs are common here. They have an open court leading into a burial chamber. Examples include Aghakillymaud, Ballyreagh, and Carrickmacflaherty & Drumman.
• Wedge tombs are shaped like a wedge, wider and taller at the entrance and narrowing towards the back. Cloghtogle and Coolbuck have good examples.
• Portal tombs, sometimes called dolmens, have a large capstone balanced on upright stones, creating a portal-like entrance. Glengesh has a portal tomb.
• Passage tombs have a long passage leading to a central burial chamber. Kiltierney and Moylehid are examples.

Cairns and Barrows: Burial Mounds

Cairns are mounds of stones, often covering burials. Barrows are similar, but made of earth.

• Annaghmore Glebe has a cairn kerb, sometimes called "Druid's Temple."
• Beihy has a multiple cist cairn, meaning it contains several stone-lined burial boxes.
• Coolbuck and Drumawillan also have cairns.
• Coagh and Derryharvey have barrows, which are earth mounds covering burials.
• Mullyknock and Moynaghan South also feature barrows.

Mysterious Stones and Ritual Sites

Many sites in Fermanagh feature standing stones, stone circles, and other carved stones, which likely had special meanings for ancient people.

Standing Stones and Stone Circles

Standing stones are single upright stones, often placed for unknown reasons – perhaps as markers, memorials, or for ceremonies. Stone circles are groups of standing stones arranged in a circle.

• Aghameelan has two standing stones.
• Cavancarragh has standing stone alignments, where stones are placed in a line.
• Formil has both a stone circle and alignments.
• Letterbailey also features a stone circle.
• Corraderrybrock has concentric stone circles, meaning circles within circles!
• Montiaghroe has multiple stone alignments and a stone circle.

Carved and Decorated Stones

Some stones have special carvings, like cup marks (small hollows) or other designs.

• Ardvarny West has a stone cross head, showing early Christian art.
• Clyhannagh has a cup-marked stone.
• Doon has two stones with cup-marks and other decorations, known as the Gray Stone.
• Reyfad is famous for its decorated stones, which are very old and mysterious.
• Teesnaghtan has a cross-inscribed standing stone.

Henges: Circular Enclosures

Henges are circular earthworks, usually with a ditch inside a bank. They were likely used for important ceremonies or gatherings.

• Cornashee has a henge, along with other mounds and enclosures.
• Knock Beg and Lisnamallard also have henges.
• Sheebeg is another site with a henge, rath, and barrow all together.

Other Interesting Sites

Fermanagh also has unique sites that tell us about different aspects of ancient life.

Souterrains: Underground Passages

Souterrains are underground tunnels or chambers, often found near raths. Their exact purpose is debated, but they might have been used for storage, refuge, or even as cool places to hide.

• Aghanaglack has a cave adapted for use as a souterrain.
• Carrigan has a souterrain known as St Lasser’s Cell.

Sweat Houses: Ancient Saunas

Sweat houses are small, stone-built structures that were heated with fire. People would go inside to sweat, similar to a modern sauna, possibly for health or ritual reasons.

• You can find sweat houses at Braade, Corraghy, Corragunt, Corraleek, Glennasheevar, Lergan, and Mullan. These show a fascinating part of ancient daily life.

Early Christian Sites

Many sites show the arrival and spread of Christianity in Ireland.

• Derrybrusk Church and Derrygonnelly have 17th-century churches.
• Devenish Island is a very famous monastic site, with ruins of churches and a round tower.
• Galloon and Inishkeen also have church sites and graveyards with old cross-shafts.
• Killesher and Kinawley Church are other examples of early church sites.

County Fermanagh is truly a treasure trove of history. Each of these sites offers a glimpse into the lives of people who shaped this land long before us. Exploring them helps us connect with the past and understand the rich heritage of Northern Ireland.