Ballyshannon

Ballyshannon, which means "The Mouth of Seannach's Ford", after a fifth century warrior Seannach, who was slain here, lies at the mouth of the river Erne. Just west of the town the Erne widens and its waters meander over a long sandy estuary. The northern bank of the river rises steeply away from the riverbank, while the southern bank is flat with a small cliff that runs parallel to the river. From its idyllic setting the town looks out over the estuary and has panoramic views of mountains, lakes and forests.

Archaeological sites dating as far back as the Neolithic Period (4000 BC - 2500 BC) have been excavated in Ballyshannon and surrounding areas, representing settlement and ritual activity from early periods of human settlement. Finds have ranged from fulachta fiadh (burnt mounds) dating from the Bronze Age, to a possible brushwood trackway thought to date to an earlier Neolithic period, to the recent discovery of a previously unknown medieval church and cemetery containing hundreds of skeletons thought to date from between 1100 and 1400. This site yielded numerous artifacts including silver long cross pennies and halfpennies dating from the reign of Henry III (1251-1276) and Edward I (c.1280-1302). Other finds included bone beads, shroud pins, and pieces of quartz which were found placed in the hands of many of the skeletons.

 

7 °C


Clouds, overcast clouds


Wind13.9 m/s
Cloudiness100 %
Temperature (min/max)7/7 °C
Pressure1005 hpa
Humidity74 %
Last update: 21 Dec 2024 @ 19:24

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