Maguirebridge’s Wetland Mosaic
Archived: 26 September 2026
Approximately 32,580 calendar years BP, the notional date falls within the Late Pleistocene and Marine Isotope Stage 3. Derryvree's buried freshwater sediments near Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, record an ice-free interval between glacial advances, with cold, open, periglacial habitats containing mosses, sedges, aquatic plants, mountain avens and dwarf willow. These wetlands and sparse vegetation preceded later ice cover during the build-up to the Last Glacial Maximum. Castlepook Cave preserves a diverse fauna, including reindeer, mammoth, giant deer and carnivores, but its mixed deposits cannot reconstruct a single date. A cut-marked reindeer bone suggests early human activity, yet permanent settlement remains unproven.