On the 24th of January 2025, Ireland was battered by Storm Éowyn, a weather event that left a significant mark on our landscapes and communities. With ferocious winds, snow and rain, the storm caused widespread damage, particularly through falling trees and downed electrical powerlines. In my local area of Sligo, Sligo County Council immediately began… Continue reading Sligo Community Comes Together Post Storm Éowyn
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Historic Legacy Data (148 BBY) from Brendok revealed
A recently broadcast video has afforded the opportunity to study Legacy Data and fieldwork practices from a previously unrecorded historic geophysical survey expedition. It illustrates the challenges associated with assessing Legacy Data archives particularly where there is no context or detail for the survey methodology. A team of Jedi were dispatched to the planet Brendok… Continue reading Historic Legacy Data (148 BBY) from Brendok revealed
I taught Artificial Intelligence to believe in Irish Henges.
I've just been playing around with ChatGPT the new artificial intelligence OpenAI chatbot. After a bit of figuring out how it worked, I asked a nice, reasonably basic archaeological question to see what sort of response I'd get. I was a bit surprised. According to ChatGPT, there are no henge monuments in Ireland, they're a… Continue reading I taught Artificial Intelligence to believe in Irish Henges.
Publication: Excavation at the Neolithic Carrowmore Passage Tomb Complex
The results of an excavation at the Carrowmore passage tomb complex were published in the Volume XXX of the Journal of Irish Archaeology. I’ve been carrying out geophysical surveys across the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery since 2011 and in 2019, Dr Marion Dowd and I began excavating one of the most enigmatic sites in the Neolithic… Continue reading Publication: Excavation at the Neolithic Carrowmore Passage Tomb Complex
Publication: Vinegar Hill: The Last Stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798
‘Vinegar Hill: The Last Stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798’, edited by Ronan O’Flaherty and Jacqui Hynes, has just been published by Four Courts Press. I’m a co-author on two of the chapters in this new publication which represents the work of The Longest Day Project, a multi-disciplinary research programme involving archaeologists, historians, folklorists,… Continue reading Publication: Vinegar Hill: The Last Stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798
Excavation at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
Project: Carrowmore: IT Sligo Training Excavation Directors: Dr Marion Dowd, Dr James Bonsall, IT Sligo Location: Carrowmore, Sligo Year: 2019-ongoing Funding: IT Sligo (2019) Aim: I've been carrying out geophysical surveys across the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery since 2011. In 2019, myself and Dr Marion Dowd began excavating one of the most enigmatic sites in the Neolithic complex. This project comprises a… Continue reading Excavation at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
Signal Defensible Guard Houses
Project: The construction, survival and historical context of the Signal Defensible Guard Houses in Connacht and Ulster Directors: Stuart Rathbone (PhD Candidate), Dr. James Bonsall (Supervisor), IT Sligo Location: Connacht & Ulster, Ireland Year: 2015- Website: https://irishsignalstations.wordpress.com/the-irish-signal-stations/ Aim: This post graduate research project aims to provide detailed written and drawn accounts of the surviving signal stations around the North… Continue reading Signal Defensible Guard Houses
I’ve said “Farewell” to Earthsound
After 17 years as co-director of Earthsound Archaeological Geophysics / Earthsound Geophysics Limited, I have stood down and sold my interest in the company. I created Earthsound in August 2002 and was delighted to serve as co-director since that time. It has been an incredibly enjoyable experience, taking me to every county on the island… Continue reading I’ve said “Farewell” to Earthsound
Dr James Bonsall 