‘The Calm after the Storm’ St Mellas cell. Storm damage leads to Early Medieval discovery at Offaly bogHuman remains dating to the early medieval period have been uncovered at the monastic site of Lemanaghan Bog after Storm Eowyn caused damage to the site in January 2025. On January 24, 2025, four mature trees were felled within the enclosure surrounding St Mella’s Cell, exposing previously unknown human burials in the disturbed soil. The enclosure around St Mella’s Cell was not previously known to have been used for burial. The findings confirm that burial formed part of activity at the Lemanaghan monastic complex during the early medieval period.

Source: Irish Independent January 20, 2026 16:31 UTC