BBC News or Southeast Reporter
Archaeologists believe they have found the site of a twelfth-century monastery near Downpatrick, Down County, which was destroyed in 1177 by the Anglo-Normano Knight John de Courcy.
The Cistercian monastery, known as Erenagh, had been built 50 years before the invasion of Ulter cuts.
A community excavation of the site earlier this month found walls of wall, ceramics, bone and blackboard, as well as a currency of the thirteenth century.
Almost 850 years after he was razed to the ground with his murdered resident monks, Erenagh’s secrets can have bone brought to the surface.
The excavation of two weeks was organized by the Community Archeology Program of Ireland of the North (Capni) and offered a large number of local school groups and applicants to Indiana Jones of all ages and background the opportunity to work as an archaeologist.
The importance of Erenagh for Irish archeology
Brian Sloan, from the University of Queen’s Belfast, which was an aid to guide the team, said that Erenagh’s importance was to be one of the first Cistercian monasteries in Ireland.
“They took a European model, so if you think of the old Irish monasteries like a nendrum, you would have a round tower with your church in the center.
“But with this you would have a cloister. That is a series of buildings around the church that feed the monastery.”
Originally built in 1127, the monastery worked for half a century before John de Courcy destroyed him.
Sloan said he then built the cathedral in Inch Abbey as “an act of penance” and made him a Cistercian monastery.
The inch ruins are still found on Downpatrick and, in recent years, they were an important filming place for Game of Thrones.
Last year, a geophysical survey found that the Erenagh field, which is located a few hundred Ballynoe stone circle, was full of anomalies.
Three trenches were selected for the excavation with volunteers digging, scraping and brushing the earth in search of evidence.
Among them was a group of the skills of the Regional University of Southeast for Life and the Work course, led by Anne Murphy.
“The course is an opportunity for students to get GCSE, where the school system has been able to help them do that,” he said.
“We have 14 students here, which is the greatest assistance throughout the week, since everyone is very excited, some look for gold bars.”
What did people find at the alleged monastery site?
The gold bars may have proven to be elusive, but the group made findings.
Among those in the trench were Billie, who said she has been interested in archeology since childhood.
“This is my second excavation and I love it,” he said. “I have collected fossils and crystals since I was nine years old.
“We have found some battle and slate bits so far.”
Also in the trench was Ein, who said: “We have found slate fragments that were the roof tiles, so we hope to find later.
“I have always had interest in paleontology, but this is my first excavation.”
In a trench separated above, the hill there are friends and volunteers Valerie Shearer and Janice Mchenry, who were deeply in competition to find the best device.
“My most interesting piece is a bit of stone, but I still checked it, so I don’t do it now if it’s valuable or garbage,” said Valerie.
“I would love to find a piece of ceramics, but she won me,” Janice said. “It is very therapeutic because you are not thinking about anything but finding something.”
Among the findings in the excavation were a section of the wall, the stones cut with a mark of the freemasons, the ceramics, the blackboard and an Henry III coin that dates from around 1270.
The DIG organizers will now study the findings, but say they trust the radiocarbon analysis of the artifacts will confirm that this was the location of the lost monastery of Erenagh.
