Imirce - Migration and Ireland through time
NATIONAL MONUMENTS SERVICE
6th ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGY CONFERENCE
Imirce-migration, the overall theme of this programme-looks at the evidence for arrival in Ireland, alongside examples of Irish arrivals elsewhere, as a means of exploring and revealing the multiplicity of identities that have contributed-and continue to contribute-to Irish society through time. This ranges from the growing body of ancient DNA evidence that is beginning to answer some lingering questions about Irish populations to the legacy of new or introduced artefact, burial or settlement types that give us some insight into the lives of these new arrivals. Equally, such evidence has an important role in telling us about Ireland’s connections with the wider world. This conference is presented by the National Monuments Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in partnership with the Office of Public Works and organised by Wordwell | Archaeology Ireland.
Foreword to Conference Booklet
Dear Conference Delegates,
You are all very welcome to our 6th annual National Monuments Service Archaeology Conference, organised by Wordwell | Archaeology Ireland and in collaboration with the Office of Public Works.
Over the last few years, our conferences online and in this wonderful venue in Dublin Castle have explored connections of various types between communities and archaeology, last year’s conference theme focusing on the remarkable archaeological heritage of Ireland’s Boyne Valley and its links to communities of the past and the present and to the wider prehistoric world. This year’s conference focuses on a range of factors that comprise the very meaning of community and identity through the past.
Modern genetic science increasingly sheds light on the movement of people over time, which we shall hear about today. Such migrations, prompted by difficult and at times contested historical narratives, were often challenging, with communities facing considerable hardships but displaying remarkable resilience. The movement of peoples, bringing with them their cultural identities, has left enduring legacies that continue to affect communities to this day.
I once again acknowledge Wordwell | Archaeology Ireland for their expertise and ability in bringing this conference together and for the enduring partnership with our National Monuments Service. I am grateful to all the speakers for sharing their research with us, to those who are chairing sessions and to all of you for attending, in person and online.
We are committed through our national heritage plan Heritage Ireland 2030 to deliver on making heritage accessible, and through such events as this we do that, in full celebration of the past that enriches our present so much.
I wish you all a wonderful conference.
Malcolm Noonan TD
Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform
Minister’s Foreword