Two of three logboats I found by drone in the river Boyne are new discoveries!
The Underwater Archaeology Unit of the National Monuments Service has told Anthony Murphy that two of the three dugout boats he spotted in the river Boyne at Drogheda are new discoveries.
Over the course of the past fortnight, there has been much media attention around my revelations that there were THREE ancient wooden dugout boats sitting in the bed of the river Boyne at Drogheda. Following my discovery of the first boat, the National Monuments Service announced that it believed this boat had been previously reported to them by a member of the public in 2020. I then found a second, upturned, boat, followed by a third.
I am delighted to report that I have received communication from the Underwater Archaeology Unit of the National Monuments Service confirming that, of the three dugout boats I spotted in the river Boyne in Drogheda recently with my drone, numbers #1 and #3 are NEW DISCOVERIES, - not previously reported to NMS.
I am delighted.
The two new discoveries are pictured below.
The second logboat, which is upside down and incomplete, was previously known to the Underwater Archaeology Unit of the National Monuments Service. It is photographed below.
Irish dugout boat specialist Dr. Niall Gregory recently visited Drogheda to examine logboats #1 and #2 and his finds are detailed on this post.
News of the discovery of the dugout boats has made international headlines:
https://www.irishcentral.com/news/third-ancient-logboat-discovered-river-boyne
Meanwhile, you can view a drone video of the first logboat on this YouTube video:
More Blog Sections
Ancient Sites
Enter the ‘Ancient Sites’ section of this blog for a fascinating and wide-ranging exploration of the megalithic and sacred sites of Ireland. Find out all about the Stone Age and prehistoric ruins and learn more about the possible functions and alignments of these sites. Visit the great temples of Brú na Bóinne, the Hill of Tara, the ancient cairns of Loughcrew among many others.
Myths & Legends
Explore the ancient myths, legends and folklore of Ireland and their meaning. Read the epic Táin Bó Cuailnge, or the place-name myths in the Dindshenchas. Learn about how the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians came to Ireland and how the early texts describe various invasions of prehistoric Éire. Hear about Fionn and the Fianna, and discover how some myths might contain information about astronomy and the stars.
Astronomy & the Sky
There is no doubt that the ancient megalith builders had a substantial knowledge of the movements of the sun, moon, planets and stars through the heavens. Learn more about just how complex and impressive this knowledge was. There is evidence that the people of the Neolithic knew about the 19-year Metonic cycle of the moon, as well as being able to predict eclipses.
Videos and films
Videos featuring Anthony Murphy/Mythical Ireland or relating to the many diverse topics explored on the website.
My Books
Information and posts about Anthony Murphy's books. These include Island of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers, Newgrange: Monument to Immortality, Land of the Ever-Living Ones, The Cry of the Sebac and Mythical Ireland: New Light on the Ancient Past.