The extensive visitor’s centre contains hundreds of artefacts dating back approximately 5000 years or more.

Inside you can learn of the community of farmers, craftsman, and families that worked this land as well as a glimpse of the spirituality they found in this harsh, weather-beaten environment.

The visitor’s centre offers an interesting opportunity to study the unique ecology of the bogland and how the elements cause dramatic changes in all things ecological, such as various lichens, flowers, hedges and of course the ever-changing colours of the many Irish mosses.

Archaeological probes have rendered scientists a picture of farm life and what we would call “ranchers”. They raised livestock and were fairly adept in building and working with wood and stone.

Early on there is also thought to have been heavy forest life nonexistent today.

Interestingly the disappearance of these peoples (after many prosperous generations) was probably the result of the encroachment of the moss making the soil barren and essentially untillable.

This phenomenon is thought to have been the result of total tree removal which allowed the heavy rains to inundate the soil thus creating total moss cover, while under a forest canopy significant amounts of rain never reach the forest floor.

Visiting the Ceide Fields is a calm outing and one to be appreciated archaeologically. Stroll its history with a coffee, while being serenaded by lark’s indigenous to the area.