Archaeological Dig at Dunnalong, Co. Tyrone
Partners: NIEA, Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, Centre for Maritime Archaeology,
Foyle Civic Trust and Derry City Council’s Heritage & Museum Service.
From the 6-23 August 2012 the normally quiet town land of Dunnalong on the shores of the
Foyle became a hive of activity. It was the site for an archaeological dig overseen by
archaeologists from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), the Centre for
Archaeological Fieldwork (CAF) at Queens University Belfast and the Centre for Maritime
Archaeology (CMA) at the University of Ulster.
The aim of the dig was to look for evidence of the 1600 fort established in Dunnalong as part
of the wider English campaign of Sir Henry Dowcra. An initial geophysical survey was
carried out, funded by the Foyle Civic Trust (FCT) as part of their Foyle Landscape project.
The professional archaeologists were ably assisted by a team of local volunteers,
participants from the Derry City Council Heritage & Museum Service’s PEACE III Plantation
to Partition Programme. Evidence was found of ditch digging and rampart building along
with examples of early Irish and English pottery and musket shots. New sonar equipment
was used to study the river bed alongside the fort which found evidence of the ‘ferry pool’ on
the Dunnalong side.
This was a wonderful opportunity for local people to take part in a dig, something you
thought you would never do. As one of the dig participants said it was ‘Literally putting your
hand on history.’
A book based on the dig, ’The Lost Settlement of Dunnalong’ was published in June 2013. It
is available from Derry City Council’s Heritage & Museum Service.
Project Funders: The European Union’s PEACE III programme, managed for the Special EU
Programmes Body by the North West PEACE III Cluster, the Heritage Lottery Fund and
DARD
Contact details: Margaret Edwards, Education Officer, Derry City Council Heritage &
Museum Service.
Tel: 028 7136 5151 ext 8253
Email: Margaret.edwards@derrycity.gov.uk