February 07, 2025

Digging Drumanagh Amplify Archaeology Podcast

47 minutes

Digging Drumanagh

Dig into the Story in Amplify Archaeology Podcast Episode 44 with Christine Baker

Underneath the quiet fields on the headland of Drumanagh in North County Dublin, lies a truly exciting story. This headland is home to one of the most important promontory forts in Ireland, where an innovative community archaeology programme is uncovering connections between Iron Age Ireland and the Roman World. Lead archaeologist Christine Baker tells us all about it in this episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast.

Located between the villages of Loughshinny and Rush in North County Dublin, the headland at Drumanagh is a prominent local landmark that has become a popular place for dog walkers and people seeking a good blast of fresh sea air. Its strategic aspect can clearly be seen in the early 19th century martello tower at the end of the promontory, but sharp-eyed visitors may well have noticed that the headland is underscored by earthworks and a deep ditch. A hint about a deeper, older story that lies beneath the surface. Over the last number of years, the Digging Drumanagh Project has sought to uncover that story. What they have revealed is transformative to our understanding of connections between Iron Age Ireland and the wider Roman world beyond.

Christine Baker is the Heritage Officer for Fingal County Council. Christine has long been a pioneer of community archaeology in Ireland. Along with the Digging Drumanagh, Christine has carried out a number of important public engagement excavations, surveys and projects, including excavations at Swords Castle, Climate Heritage X (that we had the pleasure of helping with). 2025 marks ten years of the Fingal Community Archaeology Programme, which is an incredible achievement. As community and public archaeology is something I am passionate about myself, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Christine about her experiences. I hope you enjoy the episode.

The Digging Drumanagh post-excavation process is ongoing. The archaeological director is Christine Baker, specialists Siobhan Duffy (Artefacts & Zooarchaeology), Alex Croom (Pottery), Prof. Meriel McClatchie (Archaeobotanical remains), Dr. Erin Crowley-Champoux (Molluscs) for sharing their initial findings. The on-site team includes Stephen Johnston, Dr John Sunderland, Dr Penny Johnston, Siobhan Duffy and Máiréad Ní Challanáin, as well as all the fantastic participants of Digging Drumanagh. The scheme is funded by Fingal County Council and supported by the Heritage Council. You can find out more on their website here. The images on this page are courtesy of Fingal County Council and the Digging Drumanagh Project.

Amplify Archaeology Podcast is sponsored by Tuatha, this is our online membership with a growing community of like-minded people who love exploring Ireland’s sites, landscapes and heritage. You can find out more and start your own Irish archaeological adventure at tuatha.ie.

AMPLIFY ARCHAEOLOGY PODCAST

Title: Digging Drumanagh

Duration: 47 mins.

Summary:

Archaeologist Christine Baker joins us in this episode to discuss community archaeology and the fascinating excavations at Drumanagh that casts new light on the connections between Iron Age Ireland and the Roman World.

Digging Drumanagh – Key Discussion Points and Show Notes

Introduction to Drumanagh – location and what it’s like today – 1 min 26 secs

What are promontory forts? When do they date to? – 4 min 10 secs

The threat to promontory forts from climate change – 7 min 10 secs

What was known about Drumanagh before the project? – 8 min 55 secs

Did the later activity like the martello tower impact the earlier archaeology? – 12 min 40 secs

What does Drumanagh tell us about connections with Rome? – 13 min 24 secs

How did the council become involved with Drumanagh? – 15 min 45 secs

What were the original research questions and objectives for the Drumanagh project? – 18 min 35 secs

What did the project uncover? – 21 min 05 secs

The evidence for craft and industry at Drumanagh – 27 mins 20 secs

The famous fig – 31 mins 30 secs

The Fingal Community Archaeology Project – 37 mins 10 secs

The importance of community archaeology – 42 mins 10 secs

Show notes and links to further information

I highly recommend digging into the Fingal County Council website where you can find excavation reports, videos, information about how to take part and a whole lot more on the Drumanagh project. You can find that here.

Please do leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts if you can, or share the episode using the podcast #AmplifyArchaeology – it really does help us to be found so I’d be very grateful!

If you’d like to dig deeper into the stories of Ireland you’ll love our membership service Tuatha. You’ll find online courses on Irish archaeology and heritage, articles on places to visit, itineraries for great days out, opportunities to join us on our monthly lecture series and on our tours, and lots more! You can learn more and sign up here.

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