The intriguing story of Ireland’s Bog Bodies will be the subject of the first in a series of public talks being hosted this summer by Clare County Museum.
The 2019 Public Talks Series is part of the Museum’s upcoming Education and Engagement Programme and will be held on a monthly basis incorporating a vast array of topics covered by local and national experts.
The first instalment in the series, Irish Bog Bodies, will take place Wednesday July 17th at 7:30pm IN Clare County Museum, Ennis. This talk will be given by Dr. Eamonn P. Kelly, the former Keeper of Irish Antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland.
Bog bodies are the preserved remains of ancestors from earlier times. Because of the lack of oxygen in bog environment, organic material, including human bodies can be preserved to an exceptional degree with hair, skin, hands, internal organs and other soft tissue intact. Recent discoveries found in Ireland have provided important new insights into life in Ireland in the Iron Age.
According to John Rattigan, Curator of Clare County Museum, “While the Museum does not have any bog bodies in its collection, we do have leather shoes, butter and textiles and wooden boat ribs on display. These were found in Clare bogs and are on long-term loan from the National Museum of Ireland.”
A detailed analysis of the bodies and research into other finds from bogs, have provided radical new insights suggesting that the victims were killed ritually before being deposited in the bog.
“This talk will offer an interpretation of the discoveries and will provide information on the extensive forensic work undertaken on the bodies by a team of experts. Other bog finds and their significance will also be discussed,” explained Mr. Rattigan.
The 2019 Public Talks Series is just one of the many new initiatives that the Clare Museum is currently rolling out as part of its Education and Engagement Programme. This programme is designed to maximise the museum’s potential as an educational resource for Clare people of all ages while also highlighting the rich culture and history of County Clare for tourists and locals alike.
Entry is free of charge, but places are limited and must be booked via email only. The booking address is: DKeller@clarecoco.ie.