Anger over 'destruction' of ancient archaeological monument in county Limerick

LOCALS in one Limerick community are bulling after an archaeological monument- possibly dating back over 1,000 years - was bulldozed to the ground.

The legally protected monument, known officially as a Rath/Cashel, was located at Ballynamona, county Limerick, in a field which is located across the road from Curragh Chase Forest Park.

Andrew Bambrick, who runs a heritage conservation community on Facebook, called Save Irish Fairy Forts, told Limerick Live that he raised the issue with the National Monuments Service in 2021.

“It would seem this monument, treasured by local people as a Fairy Fort, has probably been destroyed,” he wrote online, bringing the issue to the attention of his followers this month.

In response to a query from Limerick Live, the National Monuments Service (NMS), responsible for the protection of archaeological heritage in the state, said they carried out an inspection at the site last December.

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“The case is currently being considered in terms of legal process and accordingly we are not in a position to further comment at this time on the case,” a spokesperson said.

Mr Bambrick reported that an archaeologist from the NMS visited the site and took a series of pictures, which he was able to obtain to show his followers.

He stressed that the online reaction has been the usual mix of shock, anger, and sadness, which is the usual response from people who learn about heritage sites being damaged and destroyed.

“Thousands upon thousands of monuments have been damaged and/or destroyed by modern farmers, the current generation, their parents and grandparents.

“And as we have shown on here, over and over again, the damage and destruction is still going on,” the post on Save Irish Fairy Forts on Facebook claimed.