New dating of ancient bones rewrite Leitrim’s archaeological history

An amazing discovery highlighting the significance of Leitrim’s archaeological history was made recently when bones discovered in Sheebeg in 1931 were dated to between 5,300 and 5,600 years old.

Osteoarchaeological analysis and radiocarbon dating have confirmed that the two remains are those of an adult male and a probable adult female from the early Middle Neolithic period.

The bones were uncovered during an unlicensed excavation of a megalithic tomb on Sheebeg in 1931 by local landowner Peter O’Connell and schoolteacher John O’Hara.

Since their discovery, the remains have been stored in the National Museum of Ireland.

Leitrim archaeologist, museum consultant and heritage professional Donna Gilligan of Scéal Heritage has described the discovery as “hugely important,” as so much of the county’s archaeological history remains undiscovered.

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“It’s a unique county in that we have about 90 percent survival rate of our archaeological remains,” explained Donna, noting that very few excavations have been carried out and that blanket bogs cover much of the county, leaving some areas with very little farming.

“Any time an archaeological artefact has been found in Leitrim it has been found by accident often by farmers working the land.

“We have limited information on our archaeology because of that so this is fantastic to be able to put a definite date on part of it,” she said, adding that Leitrim can now say it is part of the archaeological history of the early Neolithic period in Ireland, putting the county on par with discoveries in neighbouring County Sligo.

The remains themselves paint an interesting picture of what life was like in Leitrim at the time and how important these people were, as they were among the first to introduce farming and agriculture.

Prior to this period, people would have moved from place to place following their food, as they hunted and lived in huts made of animal skins.

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“When it gets to the early neolithic period we have farmers, we have people choosing to settle in one place and build larger houses,” explained Donna.

“They were people that were making huge changes in the landscape, doing things for the first time and being innovators, starting farming in Ireland which is obviously still such a healthy tradition today.”

When the remains were found in 1931, they made international news, as the passage tomb at Sheebeg has long been associated locally with holding the remains of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his wife Gráinne. Ninety-five years later, people are excited about the discovery once again.

The dating of the bones has proven that Leitrim was a county of importance from such a long time ago.

“Well over 6,000 years ago, people were living and thriving in Leitrim,” said Donna.

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Donna believes that Leitrim’s prehistoric heritage is underappreciated because the county has not had large-scale excavations like those carried out in Sligo.

“This just goes to show the importance of our archaeology and how it hasn’t really been recognised,” said Donna.

“Leitrim was populated very early. These people have made their mark on the place we’re just still discovering, gathering that information and finding the monuments and objects left behind.”

Besides archaeology in Leitrim going undetected due to the lack of large-scale excavations, much of it has also been naturally preserved by blanket bogs.

“It’s a good thing and a bad thing.

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“It’s protected and hasn’t been destroyed but at the same time it has left us where we have limited information, that’s why it’s so incredible when we have an opportunity like this to find out the dating behind these bones in a non-invasive way,” she added.

Sligo’s prehistoric heritage is internationally recognised, with the Carrowmore and Carrowkeel Neolithic tombs prompting questions about how connected these people were at the time.

“People in Sligo and Leitrim were living and thriving at the same time.

“It makes you think about the connections between the two places such as did passage tomb builders in the two counties know each other, or were they people from the same communities,” said Donna.

“It makes us think about the prehistoric past and connects us to a greater story of archaeology in Ireland and shows Leitrim’s importance in that,” she added.

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Many questions surrounding Leitrim’s archaeology remain unanswered, with so much lying hidden beneath our feet.

Donna urges that if anyone in Leitrim discovers something that has not been recognised, they should get in touch with a local archaeologist or the National Monuments Service to have it recorded.

“We are literally finding the past every single day, it’s important that we record it,” she concluded.