Discovery Programme

🌊 New Open Data on Ireland’s Coastal Heritage!
Exciting news, our new data paper is now published in Internet Archaeology:

👉 https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue71/12/index.html
🔗 https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.12

The CHERISH Project has released a major collection of 3D datasets showing coastal heritage sites across Ireland that are threatened by climate change.
Using cutting-edge tech like laser scanning and drone-based photogrammetry, we’ve documented more than:
✅ 30 heritage sites
✅ 20,000+ digital files
✅ Locations in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, and Kerry
📂 Best of all? It’s all free, open, and reusable for research, education, and creative projects.

Whether you're interested in history, climate change, or 3D modelling, there’s something here for you to explore!

🇪🇺 The CHERISH Project was a 6½ year project funded through the Ireland-Wales Programme 2014-2020, part of the Europe Regional Development Fund and supported by The Heritage Council.

🤝The project brought together four partners across two nations: the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Discovery Programme, AU Geography & Earth Sciences and Geological Survey Ireland

National Monuments Service - Archaeology

FAIR and Open CHERISH: data and outputs from terrestrial laser scanning and uncrewed aerial vehicle digital photogrammetry surveys of coastal heritage sites in Ireland (Data paper) This data paper introduces the CHERISH (Climate, Heritage and Environments of Reefs, Islands and Headlands) Project collection in the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI). The collection is composed of several datasets from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) digital ph...

Delighted to share this excellent interview with Dr.Susan Curran on RTÉ Radio One’s News at One, where she discusses the Woodstown excavation and its significance for understanding early medieval Ireland.

The interview begins at 35:16 and is well worth a listen for anyone interested in archaeology, heritage research, or Ireland’s early medieval past.

🎧 Listen here: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/news-at-one/episodes/11801910/

A great spotlight on the ongoing importance of archaeological research and the expertise driving it forward

This project is a collaboration between Irish and Norwegian archaeologists, with Abarta Heritage, The Discovery Programme, Arkeologisk museum, Universitetet i Stavanger, and it is supported by The Royal Irish Academy, National Monuments Service - Archaeology, Waterford City and County Council & The Heritage Council

News At One News, sport, business and interviews presented by Gavin Jennings.

An RTÉ One news item on the archaeological excavation of the Woodstown Viking site, Waterford, a major step forward for Irish–Norwegian archaeological collaboration.

The new targeted excavation is already revealing remarkable finds, from trading weights to a gaming piece and a copper‑alloy fragment likely taken during an early medieval raid.

A powerful reminder of how international collaboration, careful survey work, and long‑term stewardship can transform our understanding of early medieval Ireland.

This project is a collaboration between Irish and Norwegian archaeologists, with Abarta Heritage, The Discovery Programme, Arkeologisk museum, Universitetet i Stavanger, and it is supported by The Royal Irish Academy, Waterford City and County Council, and The Heritage Council.

https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2026/0615/1578301-viking-settlement-waterford/

Dig unearthing Ireland and Norway's Viking past A team of archaeologists from Ireland and Norway are aiming to unearth more of the two countries' shared Viking past at an archaeological dig near Waterford city.

How might our understanding of Early Bronze Age Britain change if we see animals not simply as resources or symbols, but as sentient, social beings?

Watch Prof. Joanna Brück 2025 Martin Doody Memorial Lecture, “Animal Kin, Animal Others in Early Bronze Age Britain.”

https://youtu.be/FaS_FWX5jCE?is=YnS8YJT-ez5cHipl

University College Dublin
National Monuments Service - Archaeology
National Museum of Ireland
The Heritage Council
Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland

The Discovery Programme’s Martin Doody Memorial Lecture 2025 The Discovery Programme’s Martin Doody Memorial Lecture for 2025, d...

We had a fantastic day at Woodstown Viking Site yesterday when we opened up our excavations to the public as part of the European Archaeology Days. The teams from Abarta Heritage, Discovery Programme and Universitetet i Stavanger Arkeologisk museum, hosted three well-attended tours for members of the public who heard about the discovery of the site, the non-invasive methods employed to establish the extent of the settlement and, of course, some of the exciting findings we have made over the course of this year’s excavation with the opportunity to chat to the team in the trenches. We even had some real Vikings on site thanks to Déise Medieval

Huge thanks to Waterford City & County Council and the Woodstown Viking Site Steering Committee for all of their help and support.

This research exacavation is supported by The Royal Irish Academy National Monuments Service - Archaeology Waterford City and County Council and The Heritage Council

Great to see such a strong turnout for the open day.

A sincere thank you to everyone who attended, asked questions, shared their interest, and helped make the day such a success. It was fantastic to welcome so many people and to see such enthusiasm for archaeology and heritage.

Thanks also to everyone involved in organising and supporting the event.

Meet the team! 👋
We’re delighted to introduce Discovery Programme team who will be excavating at the Woodstown Viking Site over the next couple of weeks: Edward Pollard (Ted), David Stone, Cian Hogan and Susan Curran.

Today marked Ted’s last day on site — a big thank you to Ted for all his work! We look forward to welcoming Eimear Meegan to the team next week as the excavation continues.

This project is a collaboration between Irish and Norwegian archaeologists, with Abarta Heritage, The Discovery Programme, Arkeologisk-museum Universitetet i Stavanger and it is supported by The Royal Irish Academy (RIA), National Monuments Service - Archaeology, Waterford City and County Council and The Heritage Council.

Stay tuned for more updates from Woodstown!