This is one of those places that makes you stand back, scratch your head and marvel at just how old Ireland is. The fairly unassuming, modern interpretive center, situated in a bog, contains what at first glance looks like an elevated platform of planks nailed onto rails, like a boardwalk through a marsh or swamp. It is, in fact, an excavated wooden trackway that has been carbon dated to the year 148 B.C. Roughly 18m (59 feet) of original track has been uncovered so far and can be seen on a (free) guided tour. The center also contains an exhibition and a film to put the whole thing into context. A replica version crosses a starkly beautiful section of bog, roughly where the rest of the track is believed to be buried. The weird thing is that the modern version really doesn’t look all that different. Was the track built merely as a bridge over the bog, or did it have some religious significance—perhaps enabling people to reach a part of the bog considered sacred for some long-forgotten reason? Archaeologists disagree, but it’s fascinating to contemplate the possibility.
Counties Galway, Westmeath and Offaly
Travel Guide
Counties Galway, Westmeath and Offaly› Attraction
Corlea Trackway
Kenagh, Co. Longford
Our Rating
Hours
Early Apr to early Oct daily 10am–6pm. Last tour 1 hr. before closing; last admission 45 min. before closing
Phone
043/332-2386
Prices
Free admission
Web site
Corlea Trackway
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.