Corlea Trackway
In 1984 a major trackway of large oak planks was discovered in a bog at Corlea near the village of Kenagh in County Longford. Most of this track was in a Bord na Mona owned bog and was in an advanced stage of decay. However, samples from the track were dated at Queens University in Belfast. This highlighted the importance of the track as it is the only example from Ireland dateable to the early Iron Age.
In 1985 excavation work began. Four other trackways were discovered by chance in the same bog and were also investigated. Later, an additional sixteen tracks were found together along the western edge of the bog where they had been exposed by the activities of peat milling machines. The survival of these tracks through thousands of years greatly broadens our knowledge of early civilisations in Ireland. The unique nature of the area was recognised by the building of a purpose built Exhibition Centre in 1994.
This centre highlights the importance of the site in archaeological terms and has become a major attraction in the Midlands.
Directions
Situated 10 km from Longford on the Ballymahon Road (R397) Telephone 00 353 43 22386