Craggaunowen - The Living Past is an archaeological open air museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 in County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

 Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, started by John Hunt

John Hunt (antiquarian)

John Hunt was a historian, antiquarian, and collector. Together with his wife Gertrude, he amassed the collection that today forms the basis of the Hunt Museum, Limerick, Ireland. He encouraged Lord Gort to restore Bunratty Castle. He is commemorated by a bust in the castle because of this...

. The park, comprising a picturesque lake and idyllic woodland, is host to several examples of early historic dwelling places such as a Crannóg

Crannog

A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...

 (A man made island dwelling place that came into being in the Early Iron Age with some showing usage through to 17th Century. Their main usage being around the 6th Century) and Ringfort

Ringfort

Ringforts are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Iron Age , although some were built as late as the Early Middle Ages . They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland...

 (Similar period coverage to Crannóg) and examples of replica Fulachta Fia

Fulacht fiadh

A fulacht fiadh is a type of archaeological site found in Ireland. In England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man they are known as burnt mounds. They commonly survive as a low horseshoe-shaped mound of charcoal-enriched soil and heat shattered stone with a slight depression at its centre showing...

 (Bronze Age cooking and industrial site), Dolmen

Dolmen

A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...

 (Neolithic portal tomb) and Standing Stone (Ogham Stone). The site is also home to 'The Brendan', a reconstruction of a leather hulled boat, sailed by Saint Brendan

Brendan

Saint Brendan of Clonfert or Bréanainn of Clonfert called "the Navigator", "the Voyager", or "the Bold" is one of the early Irish monastic saints. He is chiefly renowned for his legendary quest to the "Isle of the Blessed," also called St. Brendan's Island. The Voyage of St...

, that is reputed to have made the journey from Ireland to Newfoundland in Canada in the Mid 6th Century AD.

It is located 10 km east of Quin, County Clare

Quin, County Clare

Quin is a village in southeast County Clare in Ireland. The village's main attraction, Quin Abbey, is open to the public, and although mostly ruined, much of the structure remains. The abbey was built on the foundations of an earlier Norman castle, and the foundations of its corner towers can...

, adjacent to Craggaunowen Castle

Craggaunowen Castle

Craggaunowen Castle, built in 1550, is a fortified tower house located near Sixmilebridge, County Clare, Ireland. It was built by John MacSioda MacNamara, a descendent of Sioda MacNamara, who built Knappogue Castle in 1467. It stands on a crag overlooking the lake in the grounds of Craggaunowen...

, a typical example of a 16th Century fortified towerhouse.

The name Craggaunowen derives from its Irish name Creagán Eoghain (Owen's little rocky hill).

See also

There is a reconstruction of a crannóg at Loch Tay

Loch Tay

Loch Tay is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perthshire.It is a long narrow loch of around 14 miles long, and typically around 1 to 1½ miles wide, following the line of the valley from the south west to north east...

 in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

at the Scottish Crannog Centre.

External links

• Fan Site http://www.craggaunowen.org/ Well detailed.
• Shannon Heritage Attractions page http://www.shannonheritage.com/Attractions/Craggaunowen/