Exciting ancient discovery as Mountjoy pupils visit restored peatlands near Omagh

THERE was excitement in the air at The Murrins Area of Special Scientific Interest, just east of Omagh, as a remarkable archaeological discovery was unveiled during major peatland restoration works, and local schoolchildren were among the first to celebrate the news.

A previously unknown Neolithic or Bronze Age burial cairn, estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000 years-old, has been discovered at the site. The ancient monument, found in good condition, will now be officially recorded on the Historic Record of Northern Ireland - safeguarding it for generations to come.

The discovery was made as part of the PEACEPLUS Protecting Shared Waters Project, a €7.5 million cross-border initiative led by NI Water. The ambitious programme is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and endorsed by both Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in Ireland.

The project is piloting innovative nature-based solutions to enhance water quality in the Fane and Strule catchments - two vital drinking water sources. By restoring peatlands, the initiative aims to slow water flow, reduce nutrient and pollutant run-off, and improve raw water quality at abstraction points, helping to ensure safe, clean drinking water for communities on both sides of the border.

At The Murrins, several hundred peat dams have been installed, thousands of metres of peat bank reprofiling completed, and hundreds of metres of bunding constructed. The restoration work has been carried out by contractor C & B McErlean, led by local conservation charity Ulster Wildlife.

Before groundworks began, advanced imaging technology was used to scan the site for potential archaeological features. The survey revealed several intriguing structures - one of which proved to be the ancient burial cairn. Ulster Wildlife, working alongside members of the Historic Environment Division, confirmed the significance of the find.

Adding to the sense of celebration, pupils from nearby St. Brigid’s Primary School, Mountfield, recently visited the site to see the restoration in action. The trip offered a unique opportunity for hands-on learning, connecting environmental science, local heritage, and climate action in a real-world setting.

After exploring the peatland works, the children continued their learning back in the classroom, discovering how healthy peatlands play a crucial role in:

l Protecting drinking water quality

l Supporting biodiversity

l Tackling climate change by storing carbon

l Preserving important archaeological heritage

l Collaboration Across Borders

Diane Foster, Protecting Shared Waters project manager, highlighted the importance of the initiative.

“The project will pilot a mix of nature-based solutions (NbS) and agronomic advice in selected sub-catchments of the Strule and a community-based approach to installing NbS and water conservation measures in a selected sub-catchment of the Fane. It aims to reduce environmental pressures on shared water bodies and support their recovery to good or high ecological status. In doing so, it will also enhance the quality and reliability of raw water at abstraction points - an essential step in ensuring safe, clean drinking water for communities on both sides of the border.

“We were really excited to find out that not only had we contributed to improving raw water quality, but we had also identified a Bronze Age cairn and are protecting important archaeological sites.”

“We are delighted to work on this important project with our key partners: Uisce Éireann, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Ulster Wildlife, The James Hutton Institute and The Rivers Trust. We will keep relevant communities informed as work progresses.”

This uplifting discovery is a powerful reminder that restoring nature can also uncover and protect our shared past. At The Murrins, efforts to improve water quality and strengthen ecosystems have not only delivered environmental benefits - they have revealed a tangible link to communities who lived on the land thousands of years ago.

For the pupils of St. Brigid’s Primary School, it was more than a school trip - it was a chance to witness history being uncovered and to see how caring for nature today helps protect both our future and our past.