The Irish National Heritage Park is an open-air history museum in Ferrycarrig, County Wexford.
Popular among tourists, school groups, and history enthusiasts, the park features accurate reconstructions of historic structures, campsites, and buildings spanning from prehistoric times to the arrival of the Normans in the 1100s.
Prehistoric Campsite
One of the first sights visitors encounter is the recreation of a prehistoric campsite. The campsite, which consists of two thatched huts and a burning fireplace, is based on remains discovered during archaeological digs on Mount Sandel in County Derry.
Huts in prehistoric times would have been made from tree branches and reeds, with mud being used to reinforce the walls.
Portal Tomb
The Irish National Heritage Park also contains a reconstruction of a portal tomb (also referred to as a dolmen or megalithic tomb).
These tombs take the shape of a giant’s table, with upright boulders supporting the weight of a large horizontal slab. To this day, it remains unclear why these dolmens were created.
Although it is presumed their purpose was to serve as some sort of burial chamber, very little evidence exists to support this. Archaeologists are still uncertain about their origins, as they have appeared in multiple countries across the world, from Ireland to South Korea.
While many archaeologists believe these stone structures were used to mark burial sites, others have suggested they may have been used as territory markers or places of worship.
Many people used to believe that these portal tombs marked the graves of dead giants, owing to their size and weight.
Stone Circles
The Stone Circle is another mysterious structure that has survived from prehistoric times.
These stone circles consisted of uneven stones stood upright and placed in such a way that they created a small circular enclosure. Surviving stone circles have been found in many parts of the world, with notable examples found in Ireland, Israel, Britain, and Scandinavia.
Scholars believe these stone structures were built to honour the dead and to provide a place for ceremonial worship.
There is also the possibility that the stones were aligned in such a way that they could be used to pinpoint the time of year.
Radiocarbon dating of stone circles has proven difficult, often returning a wide range of results.
Ogham Stone
While journeying through the grounds of the Irish National Heritage Park, visitors will also come across an Ogham Stone:
Ogham was an early medieval alphabet believed to have been developed by the 4th century AD. It was used to inscribe the primitive Irish language, sometimes referred to as Archaic Irish.
Its origins remain a subject of debate, though many experts believe it was based on the Latin alphabet.
Typically, Ogham stones were used to inscribe personal names and the names of tribes. For example, on the Isle of Man, one Ogham stone was found with an inscription that read: “Of Bivaidonas, son of the tribe Cunava.”
Many of these stones are thought to have been used as tombstones or as markers to denote land ownership.
Medieval Ringfort
At Site 7, visitors will come across a reconstruction of a medieval ringfort:
The ringfort was a defensive settlement that became popular in the 5th century. Most experts agree that these forts acted as homes and livestock enclosures for the wealthier members of society. Inhabitants would have included lords, craftsmen, wealthy farmers, and judges.
Ringforts were often surrounded by a ditch, with the settlement and its defensive walls built on top of the embankment.
It is believed that the walls were built to provide temporary protection against raiders, many of whom would make smash-and-grab attempts at stealing livestock. Because ringforts were often within visual sight of one another, their purpose appears to have been to hold out against attackers until members of a neighbouring ringfort could arrive.
Christian Monastery
Site 8 at the Irish National Heritage Park is a reconstruction of a Christian monastery:
Christianity began to spread to Ireland before 400 AD. Although Saint Patrick is often credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, the religion had already reached the island long before Patrick arrived.
Christianity is thought to have spread to Ireland via Roman-controlled Britain, as there were trade lines between the two islands.
As Christianity spread throughout Ireland, monasteries began to appear. These monasteries provided a sanctuary to the monks and nuns who dedicated their lives to worshipping God.
The grounds of the monastery were split into two main areas. The sacred part consisted of a church and a cemetery, with the other part being used as living quarters for the clergy members and the laypeople who maintained the grounds. In some cases, the living quarters became so expansive that the monastery operated like a small town or village.
At the park, visitors will find a reconstruction of a stone monastery and a high cross, both modelled on elements from monasteries discovered on the eastern coast of Ireland. A few feet away, there is a recreation of a stone beehive hut (known as a clochán), which were popular in the west of Ireland.
Kiln
The kiln was a type of slow-burning oven used to dry corn:
The corn-drying kiln was a hut-like structure built on top of a fire pit. Because the Irish climate can be extremely damp, early farmers would have relied on these kilns to remove moisture from their corn.
After placing their corn inside the thatched structure on top, they could dry it by lighting a slow-burning fire in the pit below.
Horizontal Water Mill
Site 10 in the Irish National Heritage Park is a reconstruction of a horizontal water mill:
These water mills started to appear in Ireland in the 7th century. Before their introduction, most of the tedious grinding work would have been carried out by hand.
The horizontal water mill worked by channelling the force of water to rotate a horizontal wheel that was attached to a heavy grinding stone.
Fulacht Fia
Next up is the fulacht fia, which was an outdoor kitchen popular during the Bronze Age:
The fulacht fia contained a water-filled pit that was often lined with wood. To bring the water to a boil, stones were heated on a fire before being lowered into the pit. Using this method, Bronze Age peoples could bring the water to a boil in under five minutes.
Although the most popular theory is that these pits were used to boil meat, other researchers have suggested they served a wide range of other purposes, such as bathing and dyeing clothes. Some have even suggested that these pits were used to brew beer.
Crannog
At the other side of the visitor centre, there is a recreation of a crannog, a settlement built on top of an artificial island:
These man-made islands were created by placing a number of different materials at a shallow point in the lake. Using soil, stones, sods, peat, and other materials, early settlers created an artificial island kept in place by large timber posts.
These wooden posts were constructed in such a way that they created a circular enclosure upon which the mound could be built.
It is estimated that there are up to 1,400 examples of crannogs in Ireland, with most of them built from 800 AD onward. Crannogs were popular because of the sense of security they offered. By separating themselves from the outside world, settlers could better protect themselves and their livestock from wild animals and enemies.
Viking Boatyard
Site 13 in the Irish National Heritage Park contains a recreation of a Viking boatyard:
The Vikings were Scandinavian seafarers notorious for raiding and looting coastal settlements. They began carrying out raids in Ireland in the later part of the 8th century, with the first recorded raid at Lambay Island off the coast of County Dublin.
Between 800 AD and 1000 AD, the Vikings continued to terrorise Ireland, looting monasteries and small villages and performing hit-and-run attacks. These pagan Norsemen had such a negative impact on coastal areas that many native Irish people decided to move further inland.
The nearby town of Wexford was founded by the Vikings. The earliest reliable record of a Norse settlement dates to 888 AD, with the town established as a Viking port between 914 and 922. The name Wexford comes from the Old Norse word “Waesfjord”, meaning “inlet of the mud flats.”
Norman Castle
Site 14 contains a reconstruction of a white lime-painted Norman castle:
The Normans painted many of their castles white to make them look more impressive. This particular reconstruction is built just a few metres away from the site of the original ringwork castle at Ferrycarrig.
The Normans began to arrive in Ireland in the late 12th century. On 1 May 1169, the first Norman force landed in Bannow Bay in County Wexford, approximately 30 km from the Irish National Heritage Park.
Soon afterwards, the Normans captured Wexford Town, which was inhabited by a mixed population of Norse and Irish people. After capturing the town, they set out to fortify the region by constructing a wooden ringwork castle overlooking the River Slaney.
Round Tower
The last site at the centre is a reconstruction of an Irish round tower:
This structure was built between 1857 and 1858 as a war memorial for the Wexford men who died in the Crimean War against Russia (1853 to 1856).
Its design is based on the early Irish round tower, which became popular during the 9th century. These tall towers acted as bell towers for nearby churches and as places of refuge.
Map
A map showing the location of the visitor centre: