Ancient Roadways Of Donegal (By PATRICK J. M:C'Gill, F .R:S:A.I.) The Roman. occupatlkn of Brita;:n , ·northward to Ma:g:Jl!i.ga.n, a. roul>:: w1h!ch -0nd12d ,a,boiur~ th1e: begCnrning of whCch we venture to 1a.s1su:m3 wa,s 1the tlhie fUt:h cerntru.ry, l!eif t that coUJnr~ry prilncipal h:ghway o:f th1e p:en1iMrnl1a. Wl~th IlU!ffie'f'OUiS ,g()JOtd r.o:aids which, EARLY ROADS IN IRELAND. ht0we1V1er, wsre s1adly n1eg121cted for csin- Early roads. in Ir,ekind weriC of turi:e:si 1aft.eir. Ire:l:rund, ialso, had its three ma:~n typ2s'--'tJ1ose fonned of ancient roadways. The annals of th2 pi~:anks la.td on a bruts,hwood lO•W. . '1tdi3.- FotUir MaS'tiers me1rutJ~on five gr;eat hligh- tion, thos12· of cobbled stone, and wa,y1S1 t:hat raid~af~eid fr10.m th121 caprltal ot1h1ers th:at were m.ereiy p a:t:hs., whe.r~ ·.s1s:a1t at Tara to thle· provi.truce:s. one crcv:si m~ed. not be sown, and ~nstead o.f these, tht: Sli1ghe Miodhluachra, led o.f be:ng te:nc~ed were ma-rked w:ith Ncii-th thrc.u.gh tJh1e Nc:wry Gap and stakes or sta:nding stones. In 1833:a cc::rutinu:ed to the· nonth-east c:orm:!r of wooden :hou:sie' fouu1d at a d-ept<h of 16 L1ouigh NE1ag•h, w!h!2:r:e t!J1;e ma:in flQrk: feet in a bog at. Dr:umke:elan; .ni~:ar turni:::id wes1~iWatrd :al~rnrn. the Ford of M·ount1cha:r12s, had tra.ces 'Of a: pavied To101m1e to Al'JJ3,a1chi anid: [)12r:ry. AnDthie·r road leadiing to i.t. '!!hie pay:ng rc·s.tlinie1 tc), '!Ur Oon1aCl :srpam1niEid thre Ford ed on sleepers -Of ti·mber. · .. A road. of of C1a:1n'lils .wurth OJf OoiJJ2r1at1I1l2. Wit4h:5n t:hi2· plank var:·ety founid in Oo. Galit,s oiwn i1mmetd!'.ate terr~trory A11each, way has been found to be of kne ;u1nidoubtifldly, hiad llits ii:oaidlways Knk- Bronz;e· Age date. inig UIJ> with the, f!Qrtr12~1Elc.s: of it.s sub- TRACING ANCIENT ROADS. cbl'.€1f•t1a':ins, ocCUIJ>Yilllig stir:a:t!eg2e points By t1h€ pla!Ce nia11nes of Dru:r couinby mcw:i1taCn 1Piais1s. and At:La111:tic head- try-side· We· can traice many of our lainid.. Ov:er tlhte, s1am~· rou'bes oiur early Ands:nt roadw:ays. SUich :p1a.ce-s con- ~;aLn1t1s tra,veE1ed from Garua1n; Ra.phoe taiin words: Like slig he, a hi!ghway, an1d Drumolm ·t01 thi~!!r v1arious out- tochar, a caus::::way bealach, a passpi::i,srts oif Ohrlstf1anilty. age, ceish, a watt.lied path; casan, a ST. PA'IIRIIlCK IN DON:EGiAL. St-. :Pa.truck, j1ourn1ey::ng from Conna1ught, croiE1S1:;d the A>E1E1a:r01e a·t BaHysh1anncm1. He tra v:eUed 1by Dom.egal a1nrd Ba.m12:smor.e to' Strainorlar and a1~;01nig the, F\;nm V1all18y to Doinaig:hmo-:e amid AUea1ch--:a: route whlich was:, :in all .pll"Cbaibl!K t<y, the 1anJciten t lln1e- of croim,mu1nd.1ciar~ic1I1 1betiwi21en. tihe Royal Fortress oif th1e Nortlh: amid Rath OrU'a1ch.am, eia[JL'ta.J o.f Oonna.ucht, a·nd tErllllJ'.,nru nf :attiortfrlier of. the fiv€ grc;a t, ~!!ghl\vay.EJ-An SHgthe, As.all. Fra.m A;:1:E1ach he· w;;11111:, a.round. Inncshowc-n by Dr1om!lrt1, ciarndqina.gh, Mov111e and foot,pa~th, bothar, a: cattlie~track, bearna, a gap, a1nd braghaia, a gorg2. R'~v.er crossings iru-e found uind!sT coraan, a w2ir, sca.irbh, ai gra v·elbank, ath, a ford, clochan, s.te:ppCm1g stones:, cz:ath, a . hitlil'd•1e-ford, .and fearsad, a sand bamk at mouth of river. Those in t.er .e.sited in t!h12 i.mportance of wate r-cr-0ss([l1gs 1n th!~ lives of our anc3stors .should r€:ad "Historic ·FDrds of Don:egal" by Very Rev. T. J. Molloy, D.iPh., in the Annu;a1 for 1951. · , S-0uth of A::::dara (on the wa:y t-o Killybe:gS) can stin· be· das1cern:2d parts ot the old. road from wh~Ch the 478'.
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