Maguiresbridge’s Coldwater Silts
Archived: 17 September 2026
Around 31,409 BCE, Ireland lay within Marine Isotope Stage 3 of the Last Glacial Period, though evidence cannot identify events in a single year. Freshwater silts at Derryvree, County Fermanagh, accumulated between glacial episodes and indicate cold, treeless, tundra-like wetlands with shallow water and sparse vegetation. Their calibrated age range plausibly includes this date, but does not establish island-wide conditions. Castlepook Cave, County Cork, preserves mixed remains of mammoth, reindeer, giant deer and other fauna, showing wider ecological connections. A possibly butchered reindeer bone may indicate a brief human visit, but no evidence demonstrates permanent Palaeolithic occupation, settlements or institutions.