TIBUNE 16 NEWS F IDAY, AP IL 20, 2018 Oughterard’s earliest settlers ■ Research offers journey back 7,000 years into the mists of prehistory

last Ice Age. The era between BY BILL DALY the retreat of the ice and the de - velopment of farming is called IT’S a village with a proud his - the Mesolithic, or the Middle tory, but even the most learned Stone Age. of historians wouldn’t antici - This phase – the one we’re pate that the story of Oughter - looking at on Friday week – ard goes back almost 7,000 lasted from 8,000BC to years… way back before the be - 4,000BC, which is over 40% of ginnings of written history – into our recorded time on this Is - prehistory and the realm of ar - land. chaeologists. Ireland at that time was com - The village’s ancient history pletely different than it is now was established after microliths and everywhere was covered in (small stone tools) which were a thick canopy of trees. found in 1975 at River Island, The new settlers could move where the Owenriff River flows more easily on rivers and lakes, into . and sought out these places for That allows Oughterard to their refuge. A good supply of claim a pedigree to be amongst water was very important, for a very small number of places in drinking purposes and also to Ireland where the first settlers attract wild game. to this country came to live and They were the last of the build their homes, almost 7,000 hunter-gatherer people, before years ago. humans were to become in - Mesolithic Oughterard is the volved in farming (Neolithic) or theme of a presentation that I metal-working (Bronze Age), will deliver on Friday week, but they were also very creative April 27, at the Oughterard and inventive. Courthouse at 8pm, hosted by Because they did not grow The Oughterard Heritage any crops, or have the ability to The way we were...a depiction of the first settlers by the shores of Lough Corrib. Group. store their produce, they had to We will look at the geology become very skilled at hunting microliths, creating tools and They would have known their would not have been uncom - required. and landscape the first settlers and fishing. knives for cutting, and they landscape very intimately, and mon for men, women and chil - Our presentation on Friday came into, and also their culture The main animals at the time were the first humans to create what was available in certain dren to participate in these week will look at that geology and lifestyle. in Ireland were the wild pig and a vital new weapon – the bow areas at different times of the game drives. and landscape – but we will also However, it will not just be a hare, along with fowl, and the and arrow. year. Nothing went to waste, and be bringing it to life by also pre - presentation, because we will rivers and seas yielded salmon, Long before there was any They also had another hunt - they used sharp bone needles senting physical reconstruc - be bringing it to life by also pre - trout, eels, oysters and mussels. hint of farming practices in Ire - ing asset at their disposal…dogs. and animal gut thread to make tions of a Mesolithic house, senting physical reconstruc - They always had to be on top of land, they would have been Dogs would have been do - clothing. Wooden poles, tools, weapons and artifacts. tions of a Mesolithic house, their hunting and fishing game, hunting wild boar, and also col - mesticated for many thousands saplings, animal skins and It is, in essence, a celebration tools, weapons and artifacts. or they did not eat. lecting hazelnuts and berries of years at this stage, and it gave rushes were used in the con - of our very first residents, and To put this into context it is From flints and sharp stones, that would have been available them the ability to become in - struction of their flexible houses all are welcome on the night. 12,000 years to the end of the they made sharp blades called seasonally. volved in driving game, and it that could be quickly moved if Admission is free.

DOCK ROAD, Veneers/Crowns With 3-D Cerec digital camera we can  With no impressions, no temporaries design and craft individually and full control of the design and “If it’s worth customised crowns, veneers, bridges, aesthetics using the latest high implants, inlays and fillings. Usually strength porcelain materials and these are completed all in one visit. bonding agents you can watch as we Dr. Paul Moore. doing ...” Dr. Brian Delgado. design your new smile.  With veneers as an alternative, you  Veneers could really be described as can close gaps between your teeth and “laminates” that stick on the front of correct teeth that are stained, badly your teeth. shaped or crooked.  Veneers made with E-Max can be as  Winner of the Best Dental Practice 2018 and Veneers can be used for single teeth or thin as 0.3mm, the strongest porcelain multiple teeth. Winner of the Best High Technology Practice 2018 laminates we can provide. They can  Crowns are veneers that wrap 360 in the mimic the natural translucency of degrees around your tooth and may be enamel and we can customise the preferred where greater strength or veneers here at the practice to give an control is required to build a broken or Don’t wait, call the Gate 091 547 592 durable,aestheticsolution. decayed tooth. [email protected] • www.gateclinic.com