Summary

In this chapter, we have learned that the physical geography of Ireland is always in flux – from its formation to its changing physical landscape, the island has been in motion for millions of years. Today, the physical landscape tells us stories of how the land was formed, and how it is connected with other physical parts of the world; at the same time, case studies such as Céide fields remind us that the physical landscape itself is always in flux (in this case, from forested land to farmland to bogland to UNESCO heritage site). The landscape, then, is intimately linked to our understanding of the island of Ireland over time – not only in terms of physical geography, but as the physical relating to human and cultural geographies as well.

References

County Wicklow Heritage. 2020. “Wicklow’s Ice Age.” Last modified March 18.

• Original Link: https://heritage.wicklowheritage.org/topics/geology_of_county_wicklow/wicklows_ice_age.
• Web archive link: https://web.archive.org/web/20250612143025/https://heritage.wicklowheritage.org/topics/geology_of_county_wicklow/wicklows_ice_age

Geological Society of London. 2012. “Clogherhead and the Shannon Estuary, Ireland.” Accessed August 18, 2024.

• Original link: https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Policy-and-Media/Outreach/Plate-Tectonic-Stories/Clogherhead-and-Shannon
• Web archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20250612143317/https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/science-and-policy/plate-tectonic-stories/clogherhead-and-shannon/

Geological Survey Ireland, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. 2024. “Geology of Ireland.” Geological Survey Ireland. Accessed August 18, 2024.

• Original link: https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/geoscience-topics/geology/Pages/Geology-of-Ireland.aspx#:~:text=%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8BFor%20a%20relatively,had%20a%20very%20different%20setting 
• Web archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20250612143331/https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/geoscience-topics/geology/Pages/Geology-of-Ireland.aspx

Heritage Ireland, Office of Public Works. 2024. “Céide Fields Neolithic Site and Visitor Centre.” Accessed August 18, 2024.

• Original link: https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/ceide-fields-neolithic-site-visitor-centre/
• Web archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20250612143308/https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/ceide-fields-neolithic-site-visitor-centre/

Irish Archaeology. n.d. “Céide Fields.” Accessed August 18, 2024.

• Original link: https://irisharchaeology.org/ceide-fields/
• Web archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20250612143339/https://irisharchaeology.org/ceide-fields/

O’Connell, Michael, Karen Molloy, and Eneda Jennings. 2020. “Long-term human impact and environmental change in mid-western Ireland, with particular reference to Céide Fields – an overview.” E&G Quaternary Science Journal 69 (1): 1-32.

• Original link: https://egqsj.copernicus.org/articles/69/1/2020/
• Web archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20250612143355/https://egqsj.copernicus.org/articles/69/1/2020/

Rainbolt, Dawn. 2020. “Ireland’s Weird Geology.” Wilderness Ireland. Published May 30, 2020.

• Original link: https://www.wildernessireland.com/blog/irelands-geology/
• Web archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20250612143413/https://www.wildernessireland.com/blog/irelands-geology/

Rao, C.K., Alan Jones, and Max Moorkamp. 2017. “The geometry of the Iapetus Suture Zone in central Ireland deduced from a magnetotelluric study.” Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 161: 134-141.

Resources

Hogan, M. 2018. Glendalough: Its Records, Ruins and Romance. London, UK: Creative Media Partners.

Ó Ríordáin, Seán P., and Glyn Daniel. 1964. New Grange and the Bend of the Boyne. New York: F.A. Praeger.