The Crannogs of Ancient Ireland

The forts were not the only type of dwelling , some people lived on crannogs : artificial islands in the middle of the lake or in bogs. These islands were built up with different materials, usually peat and brushwood, but logs, stones, straw, rushes and animal bones were also used. The crannog would then have be fenced around with timbers.

Two hundred crannogs have been found in Ireland, but only some of these sites have been excavated, two of these are at Lough Gara and Ballinderry Lough.

Each crannog seems to have been the home of one family rather than a group of families. The inhabitants were probably farmers. Their lands would be on the shores of the lakes on which the crannog was built. Pathways were sometimes built from the land out to the crannog, but canoes made from hollowed-out tree trunks were the chief means of transport. The crannogs were damp and the moisture of the ground has preserved many objects. Archaeologists have found wood and leather objects and even the remains of fabric. Objects that were used in the smelting of bronze and iron have also been discovered and it seems that the inhabitants of the crannog made all their weapons and tools.