I took a trip to Longford to see the Corlea Trackway. It was an interesting place and I would recommend people visiting it. Entrance to the site and the tour are both free. Our Guide Noel was so informative about the Trackway and the general area.
It is only with the development of the Ancient East Trail that this centre is getting more backing, which is fantastic news, as this should be a stop on everyones trip around Ireland.
This trackway is built on a raised bog and is 21 Centuries old! It was made in the 1st century (148 BC) and is made of oak. It was discovered in 1984 during Bord na Mona peat harvesting operations. This track was one of nearly 6o tracks that ere investigated in the Corlea area. They are not entirely sure where this trackway was going, or for what purpose it was built.
No finds were found under the trackway, other than ones that would have been used for building the trackway, and no evidence of a nearby settlement has been found yet. Given the huge amount of effort that it would have taken to build the trackway, it is a mystery as to why the people at the time, spent so much time building it. This trackway is a high grade trackway, compared to some style of trackway. There are similar trackways to the one at Corlea in the Netherlands and Lower Saxony.
This has now been added to my list of places to bring visitors to Ireland.
Gallagher Photography 