Castlepook’s Pre-Glacial Fauna
Archived: 17 September 2026
Around 31,389 BCE, Ireland lay within the fluctuating cold conditions of Marine Isotope Stage 3, not a recoverable historical year. Derryvree deposits in Fermanagh record treeless, wet tundra with sedges, mosses, shallow pools and cold-adapted plants, later buried by ice. Castlepook Cave in Cork preserves mixed faunal remains, including mammoth, reindeer, giant deer, hyaena and lemmings, demonstrating a cold, open ecosystem. A marked reindeer femur may indicate early human activity, but disturbed context and uncertain interpretation prevent firm conclusions. No evidence supports permanent settlement, politics or culture. Fragmentary archives reveal changing climates, expanding ice and possible transient visitors to Ireland.