Archaeology of the Irish Revolution in East Limerick

The archaeology of Ireland’s War of Independence and Civil War is amongst the most understudied, fragile and at-risk archaeological resources on the island. While it is considered as ‘recent’ in archaeological terms, it presents an opportunity to record the physical remains of a crucial stage in Irish history – challenging or confirming accepted narratives. Despite the huge amount historical analysis relating to this period, we have surprisingly little information on the archaeological remains of our revolutionary heritage. For example, we might know where a given monument commemorates an event but not precisely where or how that event unfolded, or even where buildings and shelters referred to in the historical accounts were located, and if they still survive today.

The Archaeology of the Irish Revolution project has mapped and recorded the surviving sites, landscapes and family memorabilia of the 1917-1923 period in East Limerick. This has meant extensive historical research and community engagement to search for what now remains or what has endured in living memory. The following seeks to present the findings of this research in East Limerick under clear headings. There is unavoidable cross-over between such broad categories, and within each section there are links to further descriptions, maps and photographs. Furthermore, a complete register of all archaeological elements recorded in this project have been supplied to Heritagemaps.ie, while a catalogue of all objects relating to the period in East Limerick have been archived with Digital Repository Ireland.

This project is supported by the  Irish Research Council COALESCE fund , which funds excellent research addressing national and European-global challenges across a number of strands. This project is part of the INSTAR+ awards, funded by the  National Monuments Service  of the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage in partnership with the  Heritage Council .  It is being undertaken by  University College Dublin School of Archaeology  in partnership with  Abarta Heritage . Other partners on the project include Dr. Damian Shiels, the National Museum of Ireland, Limerick Museum, Heritage Maps, and local historians of the War of Independence and Civil War eras.