Cultural Heritage

The cultural heritage of Dowth spans a wide timeframe, from early prehistory, through the medieval period, up to the 18th and 19th century and right up to the modern era. The integrity of this ensemble, and the range of periods expressed in its archaeological and built heritage makes Dowth an exceptional landscape within the World Heritage Property. However, the Dowth Estate should be considered as a series of multi-layered cultural landscapes, from different periods, which interact with, and respond to, each other.¹

¹The primary source for this section is the Conservation Plan for the Cultural Heritage of the Devenish Lands at Dowth (2016).

Prehistory

The Neolithic is the most significantly represented prehistoric period at Dowth. An Early Neolithic enclosure, containing Carinated Bowl pottery and situated in the ‘Racecourse Field’, is the earliest monument identified to date on the estate. Additionally, two small Middle Neolithic passage tombs to the west of Dowth Hall have been discovered.

The discovery of a decorated megalithic slab to the northeast of the Hall in the ha-ha, suggested the presence of a disturbed/destroyed passage tomb, possibly forming part of a small cluster or cemetery.

This was confirmed in 2017, when a monitoring programme revealed the presence of a previously unrecorded large passage tomb located under the lawn terrace that wrapped around Dowth Hall. The surviving remains of this exceptional monument include two disturbed megalithic chambers. After discovery, these monuments were extensively excavated. Post-excavation works are being continued under State ownership.

The passage tombs and megalithic art at Dowth at Brú na Bóinne are of international significance as outstanding representative examples of the megalithic tradition. They are easily accessible and are significant attributes that convey the overall Outstanding Universal Value of this World Heritage Property.

During the Late Neolithic, the ridge on which the passage tombs were built at Dowth became an intense focus of ritual activity, exemplified by the remarkable earthwork of Dowth Henge. This Henge is of exceptional significance due to its size, condition, the survival of its banks, and its features, which distinguish it from most other Irish examples. Geophysical survey identified a possible second henge and a complex grouping of enclosures between Dowth Hall and Dowth Henge. While the date of these features is unknown, it is possible that Dowth Henge could have acted as focus for ritual activity during the Late Neolithic. Evidence of the farming community who built these monuments is currently harder to detect. The field system identified in the ‘Racecourse Field’ was partially excavated and may date to the Middle Bronze Age, further excavation is required to confirm this. If so, this field system would be of considerable significance, as no comparable sites have been found within the World Heritage Property.

Early Medieval Period

As with the wider World Heritage Property, a second flourishing of activity occurred at Dowth during the Early Medieval period. Three, probably Early Medieval, multivallate enclosures have been identified, including two possible high status sites. These enclosures are of considerable significance due to their concentration, their location overlooking/controlling the Boyne, and their possible high status nature. A probable Early Medieval souterrain has been identified dug into the cairn of the Dowth Hall passage tomb, breaching the chamber of the southern tomb.

Late Medieval

Dowth may contain a unique example of a manorial village that had as its focus the Anglo-Norman church of St. David, possibly built on an earlier ecclesiastical site in the late-13th century. The presence of this settlement appears to be confirmed by geophysical surveys, which revealed a series of burgage plots, a central roadway, and some house platforms aligned along a natural break in slope. Within the historic demesne, a tower house, fishponds, fish weirs and the relic deer park are all elements that are associated with manorial demesnes, throughout the Late Medieval period.

Post-Medieval

As the manorial demesne evolved into a country house demesne during the 18th and 19th centuries, many existing natural and cultural features were integrated within the designed landscape, either for practical reasons or ornamental effect, or in a manner that has uniquely helped to preserve them. As the centrepiece of the demesne, Dowth Hall represents a compact and highly sophisticated neo-classical country villa with exceptionally fine interior plasterwork. The demesne retains most of the key characteristics of a sophisticated eighteenth-century designed landscape, including some unusual features such as the formal racecourse, as well as a strong visual connection with the River Boyne. Dowth forms part of a sequence of demesnes along the River Boyne including Oldbridge (in State ownership), Townley Hall, Glenmore, Slane and Beaupark. As the demesne has never been broken up, its integrity means it is one of the few in Ireland that have survived intact.

The other prominent post medieval structure in the landscape is the distinctive Victorian Gothic red brick Netterville Manor built c.1877, in close proximity to the medieval tower house. Built for charitable purposes, a strong associative continuity was maintained with Dowth Hall, so that the physical and historic integrity and cultural identity of the demesne was not undermined or adversely affected over time. Netterville Manor was used as a base by O’Kelly’s team while excavating Newgrange in the 1960’s.