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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 6h

It’s NOT all about the rocks! Eskers are perhaps the most significant landform in the Midlands of Ireland in terms of their influence in human settlement patterns. These incredible geographical features, snaking their way across the low-lying landscapes of Ireland, were formed as the Ice Age ended.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Our spring and summer Forensic Anthropology programs, accredited by Maynooth University, are aimed at students with an interest in osteoarchaeology and physical/forensic anthropology. Click the QR code for further information or to apply. #studyabroad #studyinireland #heritage #forensics

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It’s NOT all about the rocks! Well – not entirely! Ireland’s latitude, c. 53 degrees north, is much farther north than most people realise. We are in line with Nova Scotia(!), our climate is benign because of the Gulf Stream. This means we get Ice Ages! Click the QR code #studyabroad #quaternary

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It’s all about the rocks! – Carboniferous Limestone In the Carboniferous Period, some 350 million years ago, Ireland was located at the equator under a shallow tropical sea. The resultant sedimentary deposits – fossiliferous rich limestone, make up over a third of Ireland’s landmass. #studyabroad

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

It’s all about the rocks! – Old Red Sandstone The closure of the Iapetus ocean led to Himalayan sized northeast-southwest trending mountain chains. What goes up must come down and huge rivers carved through the mountains eroding them and depositing riverbeds and alluvial fans. Click the QR code

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

It’s all about the rocks! - Greywacke High in the Slieve Bloom Mountains occurs greywacke sandstones, deposited in the Silurian Period (c. 440 million years ago) as an ancient ocean called the Iapetus closed. Click the QR code for further information or to apply. #studyabroad #geology #landscape

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

It’s all about the rocks! Our programs take a bedrock up approach to studying the landscape – students learn how the bedrock beneath our feet controls how and where people lived, sought shelter, found resources and grew crops. Click the QR code for further information or to apply. #studyabroad

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Orientation – Clonoghil Castle Birr is home to some fascinating medieval archaeological remains, all of which are the focus of ongoing research by the school. Students will engage in research at all of these, most notably at Clonaghil Castle. Click the QR code #studyabroad #studyinireland

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Happy equinox everyone – no better place to be than Loughcrew passage tombs. These photos are from the celebrations a few years ago. It is a magical experience. #studyabroad #studyinireland #heritage #equinox

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Please check out our new website, designed by Ger @brand.central_ and built by Olaf @24dotie. We are delighted and excited - please do us a favour and share this with anyone you think might be interested in our programs and / or our work in the community. www.irishheritageschool.com

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

One week to go until Prof. Mary Gomes of Sonoma State University joins us in Birr to give one of her inspiring talks. When: Wednesday, 6th May 2026 at 6pm Where: Birr Library Title: The Nature We Love is the Nature We Protect: From Campus Sustainability Initiatives to Rights of Nature All welcome

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Due to unprecedented demand, we are delighted to announce that we are offering an additional date for our highly popular Forensic Anthropology 1-week course, accredited by Maynooth University. Please let students know 🤗. Scan the QR code or visit our website (irishheritageschool.ie)

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Two weeks to go until our colleague and friend, Prof. Mary Gomes of Sonoma State University joins us in Birr to give one of her inspiring talks. When: Wednesday, 6th May 2026 at 6pm Where: Birr Library All welcome

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Save the date! We are delighted that our colleague and friend Prof Mary Gomes of Sonoma State University is visiting Birr whilst on Sabbatical, and is giving a free public lecture in Birr Library on Wednesday, 6th May at 6pm. Please join us.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

We are proud to be part of a prestigious award from the SAA. We wrote a chapter in the book (Reetz & Sperling (eds) 'A Practitioner’s Guide to Public Archaeology', whose 38 authors are the joint recipients of the 2026 Society for American Archaeology Outstanding Public Archaeology Initiative Award!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Apropos our rescue excavations of human remains at Lemanaghan Monastic Complex in Offaly, on foot of Storm Éowyn (which hit this day last year of the feast day of the founder of the monastery), aside from being covered by RTE our real claim to fame is we were covered by @whispersnews

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

We are delighted to welcome our intrepid band of students from the US, Canada and Australia for our Winter Monastic Midlands Program, run in partnership with the @ifrglobal. It's particularly brrrrrr in Birr this January!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. This is the last one! - Happy Christmas to all 🧑‍🎄 Photo 12 - Cairn T at Loughcrew passage tomb complex. One of my signature 'well, I look good' selfies!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 11 - I feel bad about this one! Same people as Photo 9, but this is the magnificent Neo Gothic ballroom in Slane Castle, Meath.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 10 - one of my favourite places to nerd out on geology. The Silurian-Devonian unconformity in the Silver River, Slieve Bloom Mountains, Offaly.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 9 - Tricky one. This is one of my patented floor selfies, inside the foyer of the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St. A must visit in Dublin for archaeology nerds.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 8 - Sneak one 😜; on a tour of the Centre for Experimental Archaeology in UCD; inside the roundhouse. It is surprisingly big!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 7 - The Medieval City of Kilkenny from atop St Canice's Round Tower. A scary climb but worth every step!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 6 - another easy one. The view from the top of Knowth Passage Tomb in Bru na Boyne. A stunning landscape!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Our longest standing faculty led program is with Indiana State University, and 2026 will mark ten years of a wonderful partnership that has brought so much to the communities in which we live and work.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 5 - easy one 😁; Dun Aonghasa Hillfort; dating to the Bronze Age and a must visit on Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 4 - The Interbasaltic Horizon at the Giant's Causeway. If you visit, do the cliff walk and check out the red laterite horizon.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 3 - The early 16th century Franciscan college on the Hill of Slane, founded by the Anglo-Norman Flemings family, and one of the best picnic spots in Ireland!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 2 - Galros Bog, Birr, CO. Offaly. Harvested by Bord na Mona, you can see the post-glacial lake marl under the bog!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

For the next twelve days (at this time) we are going to give the answers to our 'where am I?' competition. Photo 1 - The Spire, Dublin city centre. It has inspired some interesting nicknames. e.g. the Stiletto in the Ghetto, the Nail in the Pale and the Stiffy by the Liffey!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

We have been partnering with Dr Jeanne Sumrall, Fort Hays University KAMS program, on environmental science programs since 2019. We explore the landscape from the bedrock to glacial sediments to flora and microfauna to human impact on the landscape over time in the Midlands and Burren regions.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Monday mischief 🤣 Join us if you think learning should be fun (scan the QR code on the fourth image)

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Miriam excavated with us in Ferns, and did an internship in 2023. She was a valued and fun part of the team for the summer, and we have really enjoyed watching her career flourish as she surveys the most incredible landscapes across the US working in CRM. Miriam is also an excellent artist 😁

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Sacramento University have been coming to us since 2021 on a Service Learning Program led by Dr Lee Simpson. The students are always hard working and enthusiastic, and their work has contributed so much to the heritage town of Birr.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

It's Throwback Thursday, when we take a look back at happy memories of past projects. Seir Kieran was founded by St Kieran in the 5th century and has been a place of pilgrimage ever since. We have undertaken LiDAR scanning, geophysical survey, graveyard recording and an educational program.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Competition Tuesday! It's the last week of our annual photo identification contest. There are 12 in total - go back to posts for the last five Tuesdays to revise). Send in your answers (1-12) by email to stephen.mandal@irishheritageschool.ie by 31 Dec 2025 to be in with a chance to win 💪

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Monday mischief 🤣 Join us if you think learning should be fun (scan the QR code on the fourth image)

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Sunday is about gratitude. The lovely notes we receive from students, and watching their journeys after they leave makes it all worth while. For the next few weeks, we would like to share a few. If you know someone who might be interested in joining us in 2026, scan the QR code in the last image 🤗

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Our partnership with Sonoma State University started in 2019, and most years since Prof Mary Gomes has brought an intrepid group of students to study the Irish landscape, myths and dreams. We base ourselves in Rock Farm Slane as a base to explore the Boyne Valley and beyond.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

It's Throwback Thursday, when we take a look back at happy memories of past projects. A newspaper report in the Kings County Chronicle, dated 7 August 1919, recorded a series of trenches constructed in 'the Fourteen Acres' to train troops for service in WWI. We found them in 2018!

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Competition Tuesday! From 28 Oct to 02 Dec 2025, join our annual photo identification contest. With incredible prizes and instant fame, there are two photos each week. Just like the photo if you know the location! On 02 Dec, an email will be provided for submitting answers 1-12. Good luck 💪

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Monday mischief 🤣 Join us if you think learning should be fun (scan the QR code on the fourth image)

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Faculty Friday - we are looking back at some of the amazing partnership we have enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) with colleagues in the US and father afield. It was a pleasure to design and lead a trip for Johns Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth. It was a special trip as gifted young teenagers.

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The Irish Heritage School @irishheritage.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

It's Throwback Thursday, when we take a look back at happy memories of past projects. Clone is a beautiful Romanesque church located approximately 2.25km south of Ferns town. According to tradition the church is dedicated to Saint Aidan. The excavations were run as a public heritage initiative.