Loughbrickland Crannóg facts for kids
Loughbrickland Crannóg is a very old, man-made island located in Northern Ireland. It's called a crannóg, which means it was built by people, not formed by nature. This special island sits right in the middle of Loughbrickland lake.
You can find it about 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) southwest of Banbridge in County Down. It's also just 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from the village of Loughbrickland. If you're driving on the main A1 road from Belfast to Dublin, you can easily see this historic island. It's a protected site, known as a Scheduled Historic Monument.
What is a Crannóg?
A crannóg is like a mini island that people built themselves, usually in lakes or rivers. They often used wood, stones, and other materials to create a dry place to live or hide. Loughbrickland Crannóg was surrounded by a fence made of wooden stakes. It was also built up using things left behind by the people who lived there.
A Glimpse into the Past
This crannóg is super old! It was built way back in the Bronze Age, which was a time from about 2000 to 500 BC. Imagine people living on this island thousands of years ago!
Later, in the 1600s, a family called the Magennis family lived on the crannóg. They moved there after leaving a castle that was probably on the lake shore. The crannóg was even used as a hiding place during a conflict in 1642.
Today, the Loughbrickland Community Association uses a picture of the crannóg as its logo. You can see it on signs along the Loughbrickland Historic Trail.
