In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Neil was joined by Dr. Damian Shiels to discuss the importance and vulnerability of Ireland’s battlefield and conflict archaeology sites.

The story of Ireland is sadly often punctuated with violence. From medieval warfare to the twentieth century struggle for Independence, battles have shaped the country that we know today. But despite their significance, many of Ireland’s battlefields remain little understood and protected, and some face existential threats.

Battles such as Clontarf (1014), Kinsale (1601), the Boyne (1690), Aughrim (1691), Vinegar Hill (1798) and the Easter Rising (1916), have been crucial turning points in Irish history. But how much do we know about the physical locations where these conflicts took place? How can we understand the landscapes of conflict? And why are these places, so critical to the shaping of the nation, at real risk of being lost or destroyed? In this episode of the Amplify Archaeology Podcast we hear from Dr. Damian Shiels who discusses some of these important issues. Damian is an archaeologist and historian with a particular interest in conflict archaeology and the story of the Irish diaspora. Damian is also the author of the fantastic Irish in the American Civil War Website and the Forgotten Irish Podcast.

Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 12 Conflict Archaeology – Show Notes

• Damian’s fantastic resource on the story of the Irish in the American Civil War can be explored here and do check out his excellent podcast The Forgotten Irish.
• For information on the Law on Metal Detecting in Ireland please see here.
• Damian’s Landscapes of Revolution website is well worth exploring. You can find it here.
• The Longest Day at Vinegar Hill Project was carried out to understand the archaeology of one of the most important battles of the 1798 Rebellion. The project was a partnership between Damian Shiels (then of Rubicon Heritage), Dr. James Bonsall of Sligo IT, Earthsound Geophysics and Cotswold Archaeology with the support of Wexford County Council. You can find Damian’s lecture on the project on YouTube.
• The Archaeology of 1916 Project was undertaken between Dublin City Council, UCD School of Archaeology and Archaeology and Built Heritage and examined the landscape of the 1916 Rising throughout the contemporary city. You can find more information on the project on their website here.
• There’s a really interesting study on the conflict archaeology of the Irish Civil War in Wexford by Catherine McLoughlin of Stafford McLoughlin Archaeology and Colm Moriarty of IrishArchaeology.ie and supported by Wexford County Council. For more information please see the project website here.
• You can read our Tuatha article on Vinegar Hill here.
• You can find out more on the Defence of Britain Project please see here.
• A description of the Home Front Legacy Project can be found here.
• For visitor information for the Battle of Aughrim Visitor Centre please visit here.
• For visitor information for the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre please visit here.
• Athlone Castle have a fantastic exhibition on the story of the sieges there. For information please see here.
• Information on the Soldiers and Chiefs Exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks can be found here.
• Members of Tuatha can watch Damien Shiels give a virtual tour of Vinegar Hill and have access to a recording of his Tuatha Talk webinar on the Irish in the American Civil War. Find out more about becoming a member on tuatha.ie.

Amplify Archaeology Podcast

During this podcast series we will meet some of Ireland’s archaeologists to discuss the key periods, places and people that tell the story of Ireland, and we’ll gain new insights into the practice and techniques of modern Irish archaeology. This is the twelfth instalment of Amplify Archaeology, previous episodes have featured discussions on Digital Archaeology, the excavations at Kilkenny Castle and the Rock of Cashel, Living History, the Beaker People, History of Food, Passage Tombs, Castles, Mesolithic Ireland and Glendalough.

I’d love some feedback, so please do leave a comment below – and if you have any questions about Irish archaeology please do let me know, we can try to answer them in forthcoming episodes. Finally if you enjoyed this podcast I’d be really grateful if you could leave us a review, or even better still please share it and tell your friends.

The podcast is an Abarta Heritage production. It was recorded in our offices in Clonmel, County Tipperary with Neil Jackman (the interviewer) and Dr. Damian Shiels. We are really grateful to Damian for his generosity with his time and insights.