Looming large over the plains of Kildare is a large tree-lined hill. This is Dún Áilinne, believed to be one of Ireland’s ancient ‘royal sites’, and a place of significance for millennia. In this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast, Dr. Sharon Greene climbed the storied slopes to meet the team of archaeologists who are seeking to discover Dún Ailline’s secrets.

Recent summers have seen teams of American archaeology students working around the summit of a large hill, close to Kilcullen in county Kildare. They are being trained by professional archaeologists from America and Ireland, in partnership with the Blackfriary Archaeological Field School, and the site they are working on is Dún Áilinne, one of the ancient royal sites of Ireland.

Although Dún Áilinne may not be as well known as Emain Macha (Navan Fort), Rathcroghan, or the Hill of Tara, excavations over the last 50 years have revealed the foundations of an impressive series of large circular timber structures constructed during the Iron Age. These are set in the vicinity of the hill summit, an area enclosed by a massive bank and ditch. The shape of the structures, the discovery of evidence for feasting and the early medieval documentary records of the site all point to a place of ritual and gathering.

In this podcast we will be talking to the site directors, Dr Susan Johnston of George Washington University and Professor Pam Crabtree of New York University (who first came to Dún Áilinne to excavate 50 years ago) as well as other involved in the field school to find out more about the archaeology of the site and the experience of uncovering this iconic site.

Dr Sharon Greene takes over the mic for this episode, and climbs the storied hill to discuss the project and this enigmatic monument with the excavation team. I hope you enjoy the episode!

We are very grateful to the landowners, the Thompson family, for allowing us to visit the excavations to record the podcast and to all the members of the excavation crew for making us so welcome. I’d like to thank all the contributors for kindly sharing their insights and time with us; Dr Susan Johnston, Prof. Pam Crabtree, Dr Zenobie Garrett, Paul Fingleton, Ava Thompson and Sydney Greene. I’m also really grateful to Dr Sharon Greene for doing such a fantastic job, and our brilliant sound engineer Declan Lonergan. Please note that Dún Áilinne is located on private farmland and visits are not possible without prior arrangement with the landowner.

Digging Dún Áilinne – Key Discussion Points

• What is Dún Áilinne (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 2 min 09 secs
• What are the key archaeological features of Dún Áilinne (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 5 min 07 secs
• The summit of the hill (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 11 min 06 secs
• Dún Áilinne as a place of gathering and its role in the past (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 14 min 52 secs
• The excavations at Dún Áilinne by Prof. Bernard Wailes between 1968–75 (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 16 min 31 secs
• What instigated the current programme of research and excavation (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 19 min 48 secs
• The results of the recent excavation (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 22 min 46 secs
• What was it about Dún Áilinne that attracted researchers from America, and what is the local involvement? (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 26 min 34 secs
• Where can people find out a bit more about the excavation (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 30 mins 35 secs
• What is the future of the project, and if money was no object what would you do next? (chat with Dr Susan Johnston) – 31 min 51 secs
• Pam describes her experience excavating at Dún Áilinne 50 years ago (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 34 mins 44 secs
• What has been the biggest changes in archaeology and our understanding of Dún Áilinne over the past 50 years (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 36 min 53 secs
• The animal bone assemblage (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 38 min 36 secs
• What Pam would like to see for the future research of the site (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 41 min 28 secs
• How does it feel for Pam to be back excavating at a site she first encountered 50 years ago (chat with Prof. Pam Crabtree) – 44 min 28 secs
• What was Zenobi’s experience like when she first arrived at Dún Áilline in 2007 (chat with Dr. Zenobie Garrett) – 45 min 18 secs
• The new technologies utilised at Dún Áilinne (chat with Dr. Zenobie Garrett) – 47 min 34 secs
• What does Zenobi see as the future of the site, and what she would like to see for future research (chat with Dr. Zenobie Garrett) – 50 min 28 secs
• How does a research dig compare with commercial (pre-construction) archaeology? (chat with Paul Fingleton) – 51 min 47 secs
• What was it like for Paul as a near-local, to work on such an important monument? (chat with Paul Fingleton) – 53 min 12 secs
• We meet students Sydney Greene and Ava Thompson (chat with Paul Fingleton) – 54 min 01 secs

Show notes and links to further information

• You can find out more about the excavations at Dun Áilinne on this excellent project Storymap
• Please do leave us a review if you can, or share the episode using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us out so I’d be very grateful.
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