Drumanagh

Welcome to Drumanagh, a 46-acre promontory jutting defiantly into the Irish Sea near the village of Rush. To the casual observer, this may look like a series of windswept fields and grassy ridges, but to an archaeologist, this is…

Before you enter the main plateau of the promontory, you must cross the massive landward defenses. These are three parallel earthen banks and ditches, stretching nearly 400 meters from cliff to cliff. …

In the 1990s, Drumanagh moved from a quiet field to the front pages of history. Metal detecting and limited archaeological work uncovered a series of finds that shocked the academic community. …

The interior of Drumanagh is a vast, flat expanse, currently used for farming but once the heart of the settlement. From here, you have an unobstructed view of the sea and the nearby Lambay Island. …

To understand why Drumanagh matters, we must look at the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus. In his work 'Agricola,' he mentions that his father-in-law, the General Agricola, crossed a body of water in his fifth campaign and…

Not all historians agree that Drumanagh was a Roman military base. The alternative theory is that it was a massive, high-status trading emporium. …

Our final stop at Drumanagh brings us to the northern cliff edge. From here, the coastline of North Dublin stretches away toward Skerries. …

As you leave the promontory of Drumanagh and walk back toward the village of Rush, take a moment to reflect on the layers of history beneath your feet. You have visited a site that challenges our most basic assumptions about the…