Ceide Fields
Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland
The Céide Fields in North Mayo will certainly give you a unique experience, for this is not just another archaeological monument or visitor centre. Here you can indulge yourself in a vast prehistoric landscape, a natural wild ecology of blanket bog, dramatic cliffs and coastline, and a much acclaimed building, which has received Ireland's most prestigious architectural award. The Céide Fields are the oldest known field systems in the world, over five and a half millennia old. It is a unique Neolithic landscape of world importance, which has changed our perception of our Stone Age ancestors. The remains of stone field walls, houses and megalithic tombs are preserved beneath a blanket of peat over several square miles. They tell a story of the everyday lives of a farming people, their organised society, their highly developed spiritual beliefs, and their struggle against a changing environment beyond their control.
Visit the multi-award winning Centre, which has exhibitions, audio-visual show and tearooms and take a guided tour with professional guides and discover a buried wall for yourself using a centuries old method of probing. Experience the unique ecology of the bogland, with it's colourful mosses, sedges, lichens, heathers, flowers and insect-eating sundews while listening to the larks. Find out the fascinating story of an ever-changing landscape, such as why bogs grow and the huge influence a subtle change in climate can bring about.
Displays and exhibitions in English and Irish with written translations available in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish, A 20 minute long audio-visual show, Guided walking tours of the site lasting between 45 - 60 minutes. As the tour is outdoors on uneven and sometimes wet terrain visitors are advised to wear weather protective clothing and appropriate footwear, Tearoom providing home made cakes, scones, soup, sandwiches etc.
