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The passage tomb at Carrownamaddoo and Castle Dargan has been significantly damaged. Garda Síochána Sligo/Leitrim

'It's ransacking and desecration': Sligo passage tomb suffers significant damage in illegal excavation

Experts say the damage is “extremely worrying”.

A 5,000 YEAR-old Neolithic tomb in Co Sligo has been significantly damaged during an illegal excavation.

An inspection of the Carrownamaddoo and Castle Dargan passage tomb in Ballygawley revealed the cairn had been substantially interfered with, leaving it seriously damaged.

It follows a spate of vandalism at several ancient sites in Sligo, which experts say threatens thousands of years of heritage.

Gardaí in Sligo today issued an appeal asking anyone who notices suspicious activity around ancient sites to report it to the National Monuments Service or An Garda Síochána.

Neil Jackman, archaeologist with Abarta Heritage, said the damage is “extremely worrying” and even more concerning than graffiti vandalism done to other ancient sites in Sligo, as the monument is situated in a very remote location and isn’t well known. 

“Whoever is carrying this out needs to stop, this is not excavation, it is ransacking and desecration of a tomb and our shared heritage,” Jackman said.

It cannot even really be for personal gain, there is nothing of any monetary value in these Neolithic sites – gold and silver came centuries later.

“All there could be is small stone tools, broken fragments of pottery and human remains,” he added.

It is illegal to dig or excavate on any land for the purpose of searching generally for archaeological objects.

The possession of metal detectors and digging at monuments and sites is also against the law, punishable with fines of up to €65,000 or up to three months imprisonment.

There are dozens of passage tombs in Co Sligo, according to the Sligo Neolithic Landscapes Group. The group is campaigning for the county’s ancient heritage to be named a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

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    Mute Welk wrangler
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:21 PM

    Dublin Bay, like swimming in a septic tank.

    221
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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:20 PM

    @Welk wrangler: whaa?ye can swim in a septic tank?

    29
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    Mute David Clements
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:25 PM

    @Welk wrangler: it’s not in Dublin bay.

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    Mute Ronan Duffy
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    Jul 21st 2021, 12:05 AM

    @Welk wrangler: As kids, we used to describe swimming in Dublin Bay as going through the motions

    25
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    Mute gofreak
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:56 PM

    There’s been, on and off, a noticeable smell of beachy sewerage wafting in over the city from the bay in last few days and nights. I wonder if ringsend has been overflowing again? You would think with greens in government they might do something to accelerate the works necessary to clean up and keep the bay clean.

    122
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    Mute John Buckley
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:49 PM

    @gofreak: IW are in the planning system for a new treatment plant for years but people keep objecting to the planning and then bringing it through the legal system. This is not the Greens that are objecting so how do you see that they are to blame.

    30
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    Mute gofreak
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:00 PM

    @John Buckley: it’s merely an expression of exasperation. That what hope is there, when even with greens at the height of power we can’t have a clean bay. Re. planning issues, when it comes to the city literally stinking of shit, you’d think there could be an emergency mechanism to approve of the works needed at ringsend. It’ll become a matter of public health if it continues to unaddressed.

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    Mute Alan Plunkett
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:14 PM

    @John Buckley: woll u go and ask my bollix u tool

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    Mute Uncle Montys oaf
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    Jul 20th 2021, 8:39 PM

    Uh-oh, covid 21 on the way !

    52
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    Mute Tommy Berry
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    Jul 20th 2021, 8:47 PM

    @Uncle Montys oaf: You don’t really understand medicine, do you?

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:21 PM

    @Tommy Berry: no but he’s good at mathes

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    Mute Shane Wilson
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:05 PM

    @Gerard Heery: mathes

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    Mute Mary Nugent
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    Jul 21st 2021, 2:17 AM

    @Uncle Montys oaf: four or 5 more rounds over the next few years.

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    Mute 2thFairy
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    Jul 21st 2021, 10:40 AM

    @Gerard Heery: no. He only knows what year it is.

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    Mute John fitzpatrick
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    Jul 21st 2021, 1:21 AM

    Time the greens take a break from EVs and bicycle Lanes and give some time to cleaning up our Coast
    Time to build proper Sewage treatment plant that do what it’s supposed to do,
    The more house’s and apartments the more poo.
    This constant pollution in our coastal Waters is shocking .

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    Mute Rebecca BarrettNp
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:02 PM

    The anti-mask brigade will be queuing up to jump in tomorrow!

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    Mute Ronan Lawler
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    Jul 20th 2021, 8:42 PM

    Seagull excretion :)

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:21 PM

    @Ronan Lawler: because trawlers are throwing sardines into the sea.

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:54 PM

    @Ronan Lawler: did you know that a blue whale excrete 40 gallons of sperm in one ej@culation. Think about that lol.

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    Mute Rob Jones
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:29 PM

    @Anna Carr: and 200 litres in one poop.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Jul 21st 2021, 12:12 AM

    @Anna Carr: Thankfully it’s not a blue whale destroying me car every morning. Up the fecking seagulls.

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jul 21st 2021, 8:46 AM

    @Paul Gorry: haha

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jul 21st 2021, 8:46 AM

    @Rob Jones: ewww lol

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    Mute Darren Carroll
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    Jul 21st 2021, 1:47 AM

    Great job Irish water ….now I see why I should pay for you twice

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jul 20th 2021, 8:40 PM

    Mother of the limping Christ; these pathogens have the place destroyed

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    Mute Martin O Connell
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:28 PM

    That’s not good news in this heat.

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    Mute Aidan Conway
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:21 PM

    Thats poo

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:52 PM

    Lovely!!!

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:21 PM

    E. coli? Sounds more like a computer virus rather than a type of bacterium. Not a pleasant experience if you become infected I imagine. Probably what caused the HSE to poop itself back in May…

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jul 21st 2021, 5:53 PM

    @William Tallon: It’s not pleasant at all. I know I couldn’t eat for a few months, felt like my shins would snap, and had to have a tube down my throat to check that it wasn’t an ulcer instead of e-coli. If I’d been swimming there yesterday I’d be dousing myself in everything anti-bacterial.

    3
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