An unassuming building with an interesting chimney in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, may be “potentially one of the most exciting urban archaeological discoveries in Ireland in recent years.” The building, currently under restoration, is believed to be Ireland’s earliest surviving example of a timber framed house. (photo)

A bronze bell from Derry, Ireland, in storage since the 1930s, may be the world's oldest existing church bell. The bell dates to 1411 and was probably made in France. Christian symbols on the bell lead researchers to believe it may have once belonged to a church or abbey.

Fifteen miles from modern Kilkenny, Ireland, a secret has been buried for centuries. That secret is the lost early Norman town of Newtown, now being decribed as "Kilkenny's Pompeii." LIDAR technology has disclosed the "streets, towns and dwellings" of the settlement.

As the saying goes, "Bows don't kill people, arrows do." Such seems to be the case for a burial in Galway, Ireland. Evidence of a shallow grave and an arrow found in the victim's skull has led researches to conclude that the man may have been murdered.

Arcaheologists have discovered the remains of a Viking settlement beneath Temple Bar, the cultural area of Dublin. Originally on an island, the settlement is believed to have been destroyed by floods in the 10th or 11th century. (photos)

A pre-Viking burial site dating to the 600s has been found near Dublin, Ireland. The site was discovered during construction for a power company project.

Workers laying pipe for EirGrid were startled to discover human remains while excavating for underground power lines north of Dublin, Ireland. Tests revealed that the skeletons in the burial ground dated from between 617 to 675 CE.

Archaeologists working on the excavation of a Viking village in Louth County, Ireland are calling it "one of the most important Viking sites in the world." The site is believed to be where the Vikings brought their long ships for wintering and repair.

Celebrate the feast of St. Brigid in an Irish manor house. While attending some of the finest arts and science classes view local artisans and talented bards as they vie for the prestigious title of Baronial Champion.

Start the new year in Scotland and Ireland! This year Caerthe’s premiere event will highlight both the Scottish and Irish people, but you will also be able to come and enjoy all the aspects of Caerthe’s 12th Night that you have come to love over the years including merchants, friends, entertainment, and good tidings on the new year.

Trinity College of Dublin, Ireland has removed a web page in its professor profiles section belonging to one “Dr. Conan T. Barbarian, B.A. (Cimmeria) Ph.D. (UCD). F.T.C.D. (Long Room Hub Associate Professor in Hyborian Studies and Tyrant Slaying).”

The website Irish Central has posted a list of the 10 most popular Irish last names, including meaning of the name, variations, and the area where the name is most prominent.

Archaeologists working on a dig at Dungannon, Ireland's Castle Hill have discovered what experts believe are the remains of Mabel Bagenal, third wife of the Earl of Tyrone, Hugh O'Neill, and known as Ireland's "Helen of Troy."

In 2006, a group of turf cutters working in a bog in Tipperary discovered a vellum and leather psalter dating to the 9th century. Now, for the first time, the public will have the opportunity to see the Fadden More Psalter now on display at the National Museum in Dublin.

Early 16th century Spanish explorers in North America reported the existance of a settlement in modern-day South Carolina of people with "red to brown hair, tan skin and gray eyes." The settlement was called Duhare.

Workers extracting turf from a bog in Galway, Ireland have found a wooden keg full of butter. The butter could be as much as 2,500 years old.

The (alleged) severed head of St. Vitalis of Assisi, a 14th century Italian monk, is being put up for auction in Ireland. The relic has been owned by a prominent Irish family since the 18th century.

Researchers working beneath Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, Dublin, have found what appears to be a medieval grain mill. "This find is very exciting. We’re really buzzing about it,” said Dermot McLaughlin, chief executive of Temple Bar Cultural Trust.

In 2011, a woman cutting turf in a family bog at Tullahennell North, Ireland, discovered what proved to be a 7th century brooch bearing the Greek symbol for Christ. Now researchers have linked the pin to a Christian community with ties to Greece. (photo)

Researchers have long traced the roots of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark to Amlethus in the History of the Danes, written around 1200, but a new study traces the name back even further, to 8th or 9th century Ireland.

Common wisdom about 16th century Ireland, namely that it was a backwater, is being challeneged by a new study by PhD student Susan Flavin. She has looked at imports from England to Ireland between 1503 and 1600 and contradicts the common assumption.

Archaeologists from the University College Dublin are unable to resume research on 14th century fishweirs near the Fergus Estuary in County Clare, Ireland which have been threatened by weather. The team blames budget cuts by the Irish Heritage Council. (photo)

Remnants of a medieval mill, including well preserved timber beams, pottery, and shoes, have been found  beneath Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, Dublin. The site was discovered during a routine pre-constuction survey, and they did not expect to find much of interest.

In her 1991 Master's Thesis, The Role of the High Cross in Early Christian Ireland: 8th to 11th Centuries, Jill Quattlebaum discusses the early Christian Church in Ireland and the importance of the stone cross as its symbol. The thesis is available to read online.

Eamonn Kelly, Keeper of Antiquities with the National Museum of Ireland, reports that after years of research the Viking fortress of Linn Duachaill has been located 45 miles north of Dublin.

The myth of Irish giants such as Fionn Mac Cumhail may contain a grain of truth, according to a recent genetic study. DNA may show that a strain of gigantism ran through five families in the northern part of the country.

New research by experts from Bangor University in Wales may show that the Vikings were not the first to reach Iceland. The first may have been Irish monks from the Scottish islands who travled there 70 years before their Nordic neighbors.

The Celtic gods will get their day when the story of Cúchulainn, Ireland's greatest warrior, comes to movie theaters. The film will be part of a "multi-platform project planned to include a documentary series, stage show, educational programming and graphic novel."

In an article for Irish America Magazine, Edythe Preet ponders Viking history and influences in Ireland, including linguistically and in the celebration of the holiday season, especially when it comes to food and drink.

Archaeologists are puzzled over the spring 2010 discovery of a rare 9th century Viking necklace consisting of "71 glass beads covered with gold foil." The necklace was discovered during an excavation of Glencurran Cave in the Burren National Park. (photo)