The Axe BY BILL DALY
AS THE OUGHTERARD SUPPORTERS BUS HEADED TO CASTLEBAR FOR THE INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL FINAL ON SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2019, MARY KYNE, OF THE OUGHTERARD CULTURE & HERITAGE GROUP IN COUNTY GALWAY AND LOCAL RESIDENT MARTIN LEE HAD A BRIEF CHAT. In the course of this conversation Martin happened to mention that he had come across what looked like a few old objects over the years. Mary then said that the replica archaeological material would be on display in The Courthouse on the following Wednesday, in preparation for a film shoot by the Museum Of Country Life in Castlebar. Martin agreed to come along. True to his word, Martin arrived in the door on the Wednesday morning, carrying a bag. The first object he showed us was a large molten limestone rock with an impregnated shell fossil. I had a couple of similar ones on display already and told Martin that this fossil was approximately 350 million years old. I also explained that when that particular fossil was formed, Oughterard and indeed all of Ireland, was 50 | THE IRISH SCENE
submerged under a warm tropical and coral sea close to where Australia is now situated. Martin then said he had something else to show us, and as he reached into the bag again, the day would take an unexpected but very exciting turn! In the earlier part of this year I had been researching the Neolithic period (4000 – 2500 BC). This was the phase that heralded the beginnings of settled agriculture and the building of the megalithic monuments. I was convinced , during my research, that the origins of the Neolithic in Oughterard was roughly in a line from the Peaks of Rusheeney (the Cloosh hills), along the fertile uplands of Maghera and onwards towards Lough Corrib in the area around Gortrevagh and Aughnanure Castle. As the research progressed, I was able to find solid evidence for a Neolithic presence around Aughnanure, and have already unearthed some potential monuments in Maghera/Raha that I also believe to be of Neolithic origin also. However, I was a bit light on evidence around the Peaks of Rusheeney/Cloosh, even though I knew it had to be there. I wondered would this evidence ever come to light to substantiate my original theory. I wasn’t too hopeful, possibly not in my lifetime anyway! Back to Martin’s story, and as he reached into his bag for the second artefact, and slowly drew it forward,
