Ithaca College

As the former splendor of our early monastic sites fades somewhat into the landscape, so frequently does their place in the consciousness and affection of their surrounding communities. Ensuring that the folk traditions and history of these sites remains in the public mindset requires vigilance, continued archaeological research and a creative, holistic approach to working with local communities throughout the county. With that in mind the Irish Archaeology Field School and Ithaca College undertook to support a series of small research initiatives in 2017 at a limited number of monastic sites in Offaly, namely at Saint Brendan’s (Birr), Roscomroe, and Seir Kieran. This paper focuses on the past, present, and possible future research at the largest and most extant of these sites – Seir Kieran

The rural tranquility of today’s Seir Kieran (Saighir Chiaráin) masks an extraordinary rich early medieval history. From the 5th century the site of Seir Kieran developed as a prestigious monastery, and the most important ecclesiastical foundation in the ancient kingdom of Ossory. The monastery reached the height of its influence in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries, when much of the architecture and earthworks which survive today, such as the High Cross, Round Tower, and earthen enclosure, are likely to have been built. The site lost some influence from turn of the millennium but expanded again from the twelfth century onwards, when an episcopal borough with an Augustinian Priory developed on the original monastic foundation. The monastery was dissolved and burned in the sixteenth century but remains in use to this day as a place of worship for the local Church of Ireland. A pilgrimage still also occurs at Seir Kerian annually on 5th March each year when the feast of Kieran of Seir (Chiaráin or Ciarán of Saighir) is celebrated.

Seir Kieran is a broad archaeological landscape whose medieval history, while preserved, is also frequently hidden by modern roads, pathways, and tree growth. The modern church, cemetery, and churchyard wall are well defined and recognisable, but the rest of the story beneath Seir Kieran is subtler, with small bumps hillocks and mounds that belie the site’s true significance. Changes in topography while walking the site are suggestive of former archaeological features, but their significance and the phasing of this important monastic site is difficult to ascertain except to the most educated eyes.

At historic sites such as Seir Kieran, 3D laser scanning can document every small detail of the archaeological landscape. Laser scanning not only records every detail down to the centimeter and millimeter level it allows us to look at the site from different perspectives by removing trees and taking slices or profile cuts in areas of interest without having to physically alter the landscape. A programme of digitally preserving Seir Kieran began in August 2017 initiated by a team from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, USA. The 2017 fieldwork focused on laser scanning the ‘acre’ containing the church, Round Tower, turret, graveyard, Kieran’s Well, sections of the monastic enclosure and the rectangular mound. This was this first stage towards producing a comprehensive digital model of the entire monastic enclosure, which will be completed during a future expedition.