Dromnea, Sheeps Head Heritage Council funded Conservation Plan - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

◦ John Tierney The Bardic School Dromnea, Sheep’s Head Heritage Council funded Conservation Plan Meeting #2 OCTOBER 2016 john@eachtra.ie historicgraves.com thememorytrail.com

WHO? John Tierney - field archaeologist with 30 years experience. Secretary of the local heritage group in Ardmore, Waterford, formerly secretary of Ardmore GAA where I got the equivalent of a PhD in rural community development. 2

Eachtra are highly digital in their excavation & post-excavation methodologies

Eachtra work with communit y groups

Reading old headstones 74 74

Oola Volunteers Team

Gravestone recording is done in pairs – aiming for a high quality product.

Geolocating digital heritage makes it easier for visitors to find places.

y Over 700 surveyed graveyards online

BARDIC SCHOOL 2

Private farmhouse and family home

Remnant of Bardic School

Robin Turk of Eachra surveying house 1 in the hut cluster

Looking west from Bardic School site towards graveyard in distance

Measuring chamfered window in wall remnant

Looking north from well in Bardic School site towards Seefin

Measuring the well at Bardic School site

House 1 in hut cluster, rented by Sullivan in 1845 survey

Bardic School towerhouse hut cluster h erdsman’s hut souterrain Satellite imagery of Dromnea with archaeological sites shown

Six inch OS map - 1840s of Dromnea Note hut cluster & faint line of herdman’s hut

Colour 6 inch OS map 1840s

Seefin Dromnea ringfort Ardahill ringfort Bardic School Kilcrohane parish church possible site of junior Bardic School Source: Prof L Fitzpatrick

Source: Prof L Fitzpatrick

Conservation Plan Conclusions • The Bardic School remnants are of national significance, forming part of a late medieval cultural landscape • Geophysical survey of the immediate environs of the Bardic School • Conduct test excavations at base of wall • Test excavations within Sullivan house (house 1) in hut cluster • Reconstruction of wall (mortar clay/lime)

HERITAGE TOURISM 2

CLANS 2

1911 Census Archives for Sheepshead & Seefin DEDs

Sheepshead & Seefin DED Surnames 1911 (n=1168)

Sheepshead DED Surnames 1911 (n=595)

Seefin DED Surnames 1911 (n=572)

DONOVAN 2

Donovan surname history (www.johngrenham.com)

Donovan surname distribution 1850s Source - www.johngrenham.com

DALY 2

Source - www.johngrenham.com

Daly surname distribution 1850s (www.johngrenham.com)

FIELD NAMES Photograph every field with a name. Record the name, meaning and pronunciation 2

PLACE NAMES Photograph every PLACE with a name. Record the name, meaning and pronunciation Just walk around with your neighbours, a camera and notebook 2

Seefin placenames

Fermoyle placename in logainm.ie. The name is also used for part of Dromnea townland - Fermoyle means ‘bare rocky summit of hill’ - associated with medieval hunting grounds

GRAVE YARDS Photograph every HEADSTONE with a name. Record the names, dates and pronunciation 2

Graveyard with church ruins

Graves within church ruins

All known archaeological sites on Sheepshead

SHIP WRECKS Establish current state of knowledge and add what is missing by using expert knowledge - your own! Do this for all archaeological sites 2

Database of shipwrecks https://heritagemaps.ie/WebApps/HeritageMaps/index.html 2

HOME STEADS Photograph every FARMSTEAD. Record the names, dates and FAMILY STORIES 53 2

GENEALOGY TOURISM 2

William Cronin, Kilcrohane emigrated 1895 – sheep raiser in Casper, WY

Mary Ellen Sullivan, Kilcrohane emigrated 1904 - waitress in Providence, RI

Geolocate data from irishgenealogy.ie for the Sheep’s Head

One baptism register gives us four names and often two locations - church & home

Photograph everything!

Conclusions • Sheepshead Way excellent idea & execution • Build on the Gaelic Lordships (Bardic School), towerhouse & townlands of the 14-16th Centuries as the pivot point for the genealogy of the peninsula – Make the peninsula the most genealogical tourism-friendly place in Ireland – Add historic names and dates to places. – Culturally rich - combine community surveys with academic historians – Photograph everything – Audio record everybody who has a story to tell and is willing to tell it. 60