News and Events
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first meeting of the Ulster Archaeological Society at Queen's University, Belfast and the launch of the new Centre for Community Archaeology at Queen's University, Belfast, the Ulster Archaeological Society is proud to present the details of the forthcoming Discovery 2017! Inaugural Annual Review of Archaeological Discoveries in Ulster conference.
The conference launch is being held on Friday 20th October with a full day of lectures on Saturday 21st October. We look forward to seeing you all there!
For more information and to book your place click here
Our 2017 lecture series will continue Monday 18th September when Antoine Giacometti from Archaeology Plan will speak about the 'Rathfarnham Castle Excavations'. The excavations carried out during conservation works in 2014 yielded a fascinating assemblage of artefacts which we look forward to hearing all about.
As always the lecture will begin at 8pm sharp in the Elmwood Building, QUB. Look forward to seeing you there!
The next lecture will be on Monday 29th May. Ken Wiggins will be speaking about King John and King John's Castle, Limerick. The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm.
The next lecture will be on Monday 8th May. Duncan Garrow of the University of Southampton will be speaking about 'Neolithic Crannogs? New research on islet sites in the Outer Herbides'. The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm. Hope to see you there!
As part of the Institute of Irish Studies Seminar Series, Dr Finbar McCormick will be delivering a lecture entitled ‘From Meeting House to Chapel: The evolution of Presbyterian and Catholic churches’.
The lecture is on Tuesday 2nd May at 4.30pm and will be held in the Irish Studies Seminar Room (6-8 Fitzwilliam Street).
http://www.qub.ac.uk/sch…/IrishStudiesGateway/NewsandEvents/
The next lecture is this Monday 27th March 2017. Dr Tom McNeill and Dr Mark Gardiner of Queen’s University Belfast will be giving a lecture entitled 'The Distant North Late Medieval Ships and Trade in Gaelic Ulster'.
The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm.
Explore Tower Houses and Other Medieval Buildings of Lecale in partnership with the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities
Saturday 18th March 2017
9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Meeting at Down County Museum at 9.20am
Admission : £25
(including 2 course lunch at the Lobster Pot, Strangford)
Join us for this special bus tour exploring the medieval heritage of Lecale.
Visit a range of sites including Inch Abbey, Quoile Castle, Audley’s Castle, Strangford Castle, Kilclief Castle, Ardtole Church and Jordan’s Castle.
Pre-booking for this day of exploration is essential.
As the exploration will be outdoors, please ensure to wear suitable clothing and footwear.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Explore Tower Houses and Other Medieval Buildings of Lecale
Saturday 18th March 2017
I enclose my cheque for £25.00 for the full day’s activities, including lunch.
Please make cheques payable to Down County Museum and send to:
Down CountyMuseum, The Mall, English Street, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 6AH
(Please note: the Museum is unable to make refunds upon cancellation)
I require/do not require a vegetarian lunch. Please specify if other requirement
(please delete as appropriate)
Name(s) ……………………………………………………………………………………...
Address ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Tel No. ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Email address……………………………………………………………………………
Medieval Warfare in Down
Thursday 16th March 2017
Programme
9.30-9.50 Registration
9.50-10.00 Welcome by Gillian Fitzpatrick, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
10.00-10.45 Tom McNeill, School of Archaeology & Palaeoecology, Queen'sUniversity, Belfast
John de Courcy's dilemma: Downpatrick or Carrickfergus as his capital?10.45-11.15 Tea/coffee/scones
11.15-12.00 William Roulston, Research Director, Ulster Historical Foundation
Edward Bruce in Ireland, 1315-1812.00-12.45 Terry Barry, Professor Emeritus, School of History and Humanities, Trinity College, Dublin
Defence in Late Medieval Down12.45-1.15 Questions and discussion
1.15-2.00 Lunch in the Cathedral View Tearoom in the Museum
2.15 Special visit by coach to Dundrum Castle - in partnership with the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities
4.30 Return to Museum
………………………………………………………………………………………………
St Patrick’s Week Conference at Down County Museum:
Medieval Warfare in Down – Thursday 16th March 2017
I enclose my cheque for £20.00 for the full day’s activities, including lunch.
Please make cheques payable to Down County Museum and send to:
Down County Museum, The Mall, English Street, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 6AH
(Please note: the Museum is unable to make refunds upon cancellation)
I require/do not require a vegetarian lunch. Please specify if other requirement
(please delete as appropriate)
Name(s) ……………………………………………………………………………………...
Address ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Tel No ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Email address……………………………………………………………………………
The next lecture is this Monday 27th February 2016. Dr Paul Logue from the Department for Communities: Historic Environment Division will be giving a lecture entitled 'Identity, Architecture and Conflict in the North of Ireland: New perspectives on the role of crannogs.'
The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm.
The Irish Post-Medieval Archaeology Group (IPMAG) 2017 conference will be held next weekend, 3rd-5th February, at the Wood Quay Venue in Dublin city centre.This year's theme focuses on the theory and practise of Improvement as it impacted Ireland in the Post-Medieval era. For more details please see the IPMAG website: http://ipmag.ie/
Our next lecture is next Monday 30th January. We are very excited to have David Gibson from Cambridge Archaeology Unit, talking about the recent, impressive excavation of the Must Farm Bronze Age site in Cambridgeshire. As always the lecture will begin at 8pm sharp in the Elmwood Building, Elmwood Avenue, Belfast. Lectures are open to everyone and free to attend.
Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Prof. Peter Woodman. Very sad news today of his passing. He was always a great friend to the Ulster Archaeological Society and will be sadly missed.
The first UAS Monograph has been published and is available to download for free from this website. This Monograph details the results of excavations at Carnmeen Ringfort, Co. Down carried out by Headland Archaeology from 2006-07.
Ulster Archaeological Monographs are a series of archaeological reports and studies which are larger than would fit within the confines of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology. A major aim is to publish large excavation reports, in PDF format, to be downloaded freely from this web site. The monographs are designed to function as standard academic publications. However, electronic publication is not only cheaper than print but also permits some new developments, particularly to help those who wish to use the publications during research.
Offers of proposed monographs are welcome. Details of the UAM House Style may be obtained from Ulster Archaeological Monographs, as may details of the Content and Format appropriate to an Annexe of Schedules. Please email enquiries to m.avery@archaeol.com
The new volume of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Volume 72, has now been printed and will be coming through member's letter boxes very soon!
The UAS along with the Belfast Geologists and the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club are hosting a pub quiz on Tuesday 15th November. Come along to the Parador Bar on the Ormeau Road at 8pm to get quizzing and have some fun!
The next lecture is on Monday 14th Novemeber 2016. Randal Scott, UAS and Survey Group member will deliver a lecture entitled 'Motte, Medieval Church and the Normans at Mount Stewart'. The survey of this site was carried out by members of the survey group back in April 2015 and Randal's lecture will tell the fascinating story of the site which he uncovered while writing the report.
As always the lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm sharp.
The next lecture is on Monday 31st October 2016. Roddy Regan of the Kilmartin House Museum will be talking to the UAS about Dun Mhuirich, a place of greater safety. The story of a Clan McNeil stronghold. The excavation of this important site included support from Queen’s University and the Ulster University and members of the society visited the site during the 2014 Argyle field trip.
As always the lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm sharp.
The UAS annual dinner will be held at Belfast Castle on Thursday 20th October at 7.30pm. Please email Anne MacDermott ( macdermottanne@gmail.com ) for more information and to book your place.
With the summer break over, our monthly lectures will recommence on Monday 26th September. Dr Andrew Halpin from the National Museum of Ireland will give a lecture entitled 'Weapons, Warfare and how the Vikings changed Ireland'. The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm. Hope to see you there!
Just a reminder for any members who have put their name down for the HMS Caroline fieldtrip, that the tour will commence at 7pm so please arrive a bit earlier so that tickets may be purchased. The cost is £12.50 and there is some parking available on site.
The next lecture is on Monday 30th May 2016. Victoria Millar will be talking to the UAS about the HMS Caroline - history, current restoration and prospects. As always the lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm.
The next lecture is on Monday 25th April 2016. In a slight change to the schedule Stefanie McMullan and Ruairí ÓBaoill will be talking to the UAS about Lisburn Castle Gardens. As always the lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm.
Please note that the HMS Caroline lecture will now be on Monday 20th May 2016.
The next lecture is this Monday 14th March 2016. Rodger Dixon of the National Museums of Northern Ireland will be giving a lecture entitled 'Francis Joseph Bigger And the Celtic Revival in Belfast'. F J Bigger was the editor of the second series of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology from 1894 to 1914.
The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm.
The first lecture of the 2016 programme will be on Monday 29th February. Professor Audrey Horning (Queen's University) will be giving a lecture entitled 'The Dungiven Costume: Exploring the archaeology of identity in early modern Ulster'. The lecture is free to attend and will be held in the Elmwood Building, Queen's University at 8pm. Hope to see you there!
The NI Science Festival will return this year from 18th – 28th February. The programme has lots of events for families and adults including several acitivities and talks organised by the School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology.
Some events that may interest our members are listed via the clickable links below
Adults
Wed 24th From Forest to Farmland
Wed 24th For the Love of Open Mapping
Thurs 25th From the Cosmos to the City
Sat 27th The Dating Game
Kids & Parents
Fri 19th From Fossil Humans and Animal Bones to Stone Age Tools and Paint
Sat 20th Get Mapping with GAP
Sun 21st Sherlock Holmes, CSI and Geology
Sun 21st Mummy Mania
Sat 27th What they Ate! Looking at Diets in the Past
A full programme can be found at www.nisciencefestival.com
The Irish Post-Medieval Archaeology Group (IPMAG) will be holding its annual conference on 5 -7 February 2016 at Dundalk County Museum. For more information and to view the conference programme please click here