The Inishkea Islands, North and South, are two low-lying islands off the Mullet Peninsula in Co. Mayo. Archaeological research and extensive field walking has revealed a prehistoric landscape, little known, that reaches back at least 4,000 years into the Bronze Age and perhaps even earlier. The field work has shown Bronze Age burial sites, such as possible wedge tombs and single burials, house sites, field systems and a large amount of pottery.

There is also an extensive early medieval landscape dating probably from the seventh/eighth century to the twelfth century. This includes an early medieval monastic settlement with some exquisite cross slabs. There is also considerable evidence for Viking period activity on the islands, perhaps resulting in the eventual abandonment by the religious community. There is also evidence for a possible eleventh-century church and community. It is also of interest how the community of the last two hundred years incorporated folklore regarding these sites and recognised and respected this pre-existing prehistoric and historic landscapes. Excavations that took place on the North Island in the 1930/’40s, soon after the islands were abandoned, also reveal a fascinating insight into archaeological thinking at the time and uniquely included members of the former islanders in the excavation team. These were the only excavations that were undertaken on the islands and no comprehensive field survey has been done before.

About the author

Brian Dornan studied History, Geography and Archaeology in University College Dublin and also obtained a masters degree in Archaeology. He worked on excavations at Glenulra (later Céide Fields) and Belderrig in Co. Mayo with Seamas Caulfield and at Rathgall in Co. Wicklow, with the late Barry Raftery. He first visited the Inishkeas as a student in the early 1970s. In the 1990s, he undertook a masters in Local History in Maynooth University, and later made the islands the subject of his doctoral research, which he completed in 1998. Based on this he wrote Mayo’s Lost Islands: The Inishkeas, published by Four Courts Press in 2000. He is currently hon. treasurer of the Royal Society of Antiquaries.