3 
Ussuer and Ktxanan—On a Submarine Crannog. 61 
XTV.—On a Supmarine CRANNOG DISCOVERED BY R. J. Ussuer, at 
Arpmorr, Co. Warerrorp. By R. J. Ussuer and G. H. Kinanan. 
(With Plate I., and a Woodcut.) 
[Read, November 29, 1879. ] 
SupMARINE peats are not uncommon off many parts of the coast of 
Treland; but, as pointed out in the Geology of Ireland,’ no human 
relics have been hitherto recorded from them, and such accumulations 
have only been examined by small excavations or borings, while vast 
extents have been left unexplored. The discovery of a crannog in 
submarine peat is therefore fraught with considerable interest. How- 
ever, that man existed before the last subsidence of the land was proved 
by the ancient habitations and structures found by the Rey. W. Kil- 
bride on Aranmore Island, Galway Bay. These extend from above 
high-water mark down to below the level of low-water of spring tides. 
O’Flanagan, in his work on the Blackwater, dated 1844, mentions 
the peat and submerged forest on the Youghal strand, where, as he 
states, trees of immense size had been dug up, especially hazel trees, 
with nuts and leaves. He adds:—‘‘The horns of the Irish elk and 
bones of other animals have been dug up among the trees on this part 
of the strand.” . . . ‘Old people state that within their recollec- 
tion the remains of some buildings might be seen under the water 
when the tide was very low.”’ The latter quotation may refer to 
something similar to the structure which forms the subject of this 
Paper. 
In the valley of Ardmore, and traversed by a small stream, there 
is a narrow but deepish strip of peat, which fills the hollow north of 
the village, and extends out to, and probably below, low-water mark. 
This is crossed by a breadth of shingle-beach (lying on the peat) 
which carries the present road to Dungarvan. The portion of the 
peat-bed outside this beach was in former years cut for turf; and 
various implements, besides the horns of red deer and other animal 
remains, are reported to have been found there from time to time. 
Of late years the turf-cutting has been forbidden, as it was supposed 
to facilitate the inroads of the sea. At the north of the bay there is a 
somewhat similar accumulation of peat. 
To whatever cause the denudation may be due, a great mass of 
shingle, which some years ago formed the beach near the village, has 
been gradually carried away, and in the peat beneath where it lay 
were observed numerous piles to which our attention was directed 
last summer. On examination it was evident that they were the 
remains of one of our Irish crannogs or lake dwellings. Sub- 
sequent exploration showed that the crannog was different from most 
others, haying been built on a considerable thickness of peat, as 
1 Manual of the Geology of Ireland, by G. H. Kinahan, chap. xv. p. 264. 
