A report on our spring conference was recently published in the newsletter of the Association of Environmental Archaeology. We are delighted that news of our work is reaching such a big audience!

Thanks to everyone who attended our conference last week — you really helped to make it a great success. Particular thanks go to our speakers on the day, Ellen O’Carroll, Isabella Mulhall, Gill Plunkett, Orla-Peach Power, Eileen Reilly and Lorna O’Donnell, and to all their collaborators. Meriel McClatchie introduced the conference, and Mick Monk responded to the presentations by highlighting and discussing many of the interesting points raised. 

Special mention and thanks also to the main chairs (Ben Geary and Michael Ryan) for their work during the day, our invited guests (Gill Campbell and Chris Caseldine) and the facilitators of the discussion sections in the afternoon (James Eogan, Ben Geary, Steve Davis, Fiona Beglane and Penny Johnston). We would also like to thank the National Monuments Service and the National Botanic Gardens for their support, and the Association for Environmental Archaeology for sponsoring the student poster prize. A full report on the conference will be published later this year in the newsletter of the Association for Environmental Archaeology.

We are busy organising our conference, Looking back, moving forward: 70 years of Environmental Archaeology in Ireland, which will be held at the fantastic lecture theatre in the National Botanic Gardens Dublin on Friday 19th February 2016.

The conference will explore how environmental archaeology developed in Ireland, where we are now, and how we can move forward. We want to provide a forum to consider our strengths and expertise, gaps in knowledge and skills, and challenges in practice. We believe this will help us develop a sustainable future for environmental archaeology in Ireland.

The full programme is now available on the conference website. The morning session of the conference comprises a series of lectures, where we will find out about new research on climate change, bog bodies, woodlands and wetlands, agriculture, and the environments of early towns. Something for everyone, we hope! Then in the afternoon, interactive discussions will help us to find a way forward.

As well as participating in the conference, delegates will have an opportunity to view the Viking house reconstruction built by Eoin Donnelly and a photographic exhibition on the night sky.

Further information on the conference, and registration details, can be found here. Hope to see you there!

It’s almost the end of 2015, which means that our big conference is happening in a few weeks’ time!

We recently issued a call for posters for our upcoming conference, Looking back, moving forward: 70 years of environmental archaeology in Ireland. The conference will take place on Friday 19th February 2016 in Dublin.

The poster session is designed for students and professionals to present their research or ideas on any aspect of environmental archaeology to a larger audience. If you would like to present a poster at the conference, please visit the conference website.

Remember that pre-registration is required to attend the conference. You can register here.

Please visit our new conference website to find out more about our upcoming event, Looking back, moving forward: 70 years of environmental archaeology in Ireland. Registration is now open.