Sarah Lucas & Christina O'Connor
Waterford County Museum/Gallows Hill Community project
Gallows Hill - Rising from the Ashes
In 2015, Waterford County Museum volunteers completed a two-day community geophysical survey at Gallows Hill, Co Waterford. Since 2015, the group with the support of various professionals have completed two seasons of geophysical surveys and a further two seasons of archaeological excavations. The surveys and investigations have revealed a great deal of information about the history of Gallows Hill.
The project was established to bring heritage into the heart of the community and develop positive pride of place locally. Community volunteers have been working in partnership with residents, professionals, heritage bodies, Waterford Council, and local business to reclaim a forgotten and neglected local landmark. The group have enjoyed many achievements including selection for the Heritage Council’s, Adopt a Monument initiative in 2016 and winning several regional and national heritage awards. During Heritage week 2018, the group organised a medieval fair and a 8-day excavation on the summit of Gallows Hill, that surprisingly revealed human remains. In 2019, the community project will complete a third excavation and develop a heritage walls project working with local children to interpret the history of Gallows Hill with creative murals on the walls around the site.
Sarah Lucas and Christina O’Connor are committee members with Waterford County Museum and in 2015 developed the Gallows Hill Community project. Christina will discuss the groups progress over the past four years at Gallows Hill and volunteers efforts to develop a positive local understanding of the site. Sarah will talk about the initial osteoarchaeological analysis of the bones excavated in 2018 and what the remains can tell us about the individuals buried on the hills summit. The project has been supported and funded by Waterford Council, Creative Waterford and the Heritage Council.
The project was established to bring heritage into the heart of the community and develop positive pride of place locally. Community volunteers have been working in partnership with residents, professionals, heritage bodies, Waterford Council, and local business to reclaim a forgotten and neglected local landmark. The group have enjoyed many achievements including selection for the Heritage Council’s, Adopt a Monument initiative in 2016 and winning several regional and national heritage awards. During Heritage week 2018, the group organised a medieval fair and a 8-day excavation on the summit of Gallows Hill, that surprisingly revealed human remains. In 2019, the community project will complete a third excavation and develop a heritage walls project working with local children to interpret the history of Gallows Hill with creative murals on the walls around the site.
Sarah Lucas and Christina O’Connor are committee members with Waterford County Museum and in 2015 developed the Gallows Hill Community project. Christina will discuss the groups progress over the past four years at Gallows Hill and volunteers efforts to develop a positive local understanding of the site. Sarah will talk about the initial osteoarchaeological analysis of the bones excavated in 2018 and what the remains can tell us about the individuals buried on the hills summit. The project has been supported and funded by Waterford Council, Creative Waterford and the Heritage Council.