Overview
Disert is a ritual pilgrim landscape in Co. Donegal that includes a series of early ecclesiastical enclosures, penitential cairns, a holy well dedicated to St. Colmcille (also known as St. Columba), a post-medieval altar and a cillín (children’s graveyard). Exciting evidence from last year’s excavation shows that there was prehistoric activity thousands of years before the reputed founding of the site by St Colmcille in the sixth century AD. Disert is still important today for religious devotion and for pilgrims seeking miraculous cures for medical conditions.
This spectacular area lies at the foothills of the Bluestack Mountains, some 10km from Donegal Town and the Wild Atlantic Way. Rural sites such as this are poorly understood and the excavation will offer the opportunity to examine the role of Disert in both early and more recent Irish Christianity. 2019 was the first year of excavation and yielded considerable evidence for nineteenth and early twentieth century lazy-bed agriculture and dairying in and around this formerly sacred land. This shed light on population growth and the need for land at this time, which led to the expansion of settlement into marginal areas. Intriguingly, the excavation also yielded prehistoric stone tools, providing the first evidence for pre-Christian activity at Disert.
In 2020 the aim of the excavation will be to delve deeper into the ground to gain an insight into the early medieval origin of the site and to further investigate the nature of the prehistoric activity. We anticipate that this work will include the excavation of the holy well and cairns that form part of the pilgrimage ritual. Students will contribute to this overall aim through their input to the survey, excavation and recording work. The site is regularly visited by tourists and students will also have the opportunity to develop skills in explaining heritage to members of the public.
Instructors
The directors welcome emails and inquiries about the research elements of this project. More general information (tuition, health insurance, and payment schedule) can be found under the ‘Students’ tab above. Any further questions may be addressed to IFR staff. Additional details about research, course schedule, travel, accommodation, and safety can be found on the syllabus. Contacting the directors or the IFR office is encouraged and appreciated. It may help you determine if this field school is a good fit for you.
Testimonials
The Disert field school was a great experience. I learned so much from the month I spent there: I learned valuable information that will help me continue my education in archaeology, I learned about the culture and heritage of Ireland and I learned about myself. The instructors were knowledgeable, helpful and incredibly kind and the people that I met at this field school will be lifelong friends. The accommodations we stayed in were clean and were in a great location. I have nothing but good things to say about this field school and I am very thankful for the opportunity to participate in it.
Disert had one of the most beautiful views nestled amongst the Blue Stack Mountain, which made it a fantastic place to work in and I would love to return. We had the opportunity to break ground on the site and learn how previous geophysical and survey work translated during excavation. There was plenty of instruction beforehand to acclimatize students unfamiliar with archaeology in Ireland or in general with the methodologies we were going to be practicing and the history of the area, which included going on field trips to archaeological and historical sites in Co. Donegal and the counties around it. Working with members of the community and giving guided tours around the site helped reinforce what we were learning and demonstrated the importance of the site to the people of Donegal. Whether they were just visiting the site or working along side us, the local community was beyond the most welcoming I have experienced and they often came with either a story or baked goods in hand during tea. We were often invited to join the local clubs in canoeing and dragon boat racing or to listen or participate in spontaneous jam sessions at the pubs which was always a joy.
My time participating as a member of the 2019 Disert field school was exhilarating throughout. The accommodations were spacious and cozy. The meals provided were delicious and carefully prepared by an excellent local catering service. The beauty of Donegal town coupled with its welcoming residents make it an ideal place to learn archaeological field methods. Instruction in Irish archaeology was thorough and trips to other archaeological sites helped to bring lectures to life.
Drs. Beglane and Vellanoweth are thorough in teaching the skills and techniques that students will require for a successful future in the field of archaeology. For myself one of the best parts of this excavation was working and interacting with Irish students and local volunteers as they not only made excavating that much more fun but helped me gain a deeper understanding of Irish culture. Having participated in two other field schools in other parts of the world I feel I can safely say that this field school is top-notch. This is an excellent field school for beginning students of archaeology to participate in. It is a great investment in one’s education and professional development.
Tuition Includes:
- Cost of Instruction
- Cost of Academic Credit Units
- Room & Board
- All Local Transportation
- Health & Evacuation Insurance
Student Fees
This program requires an online application — there is no fee to submit an application. Once admitted, a payment of the nonrefundable deposit fee is required to secure a place in the program(s). The Tuition balance (total program cost minus the deposit fee) must be paid prior to the Tuition deadline as listed above under “Course Details.” A $200 late fee will be added to all accounts not paid in full by the Tuition deadline.
Early Decision Enrollment (Nov 1, 2019 through Jan 10, 2020): A reduced, nonrefundable $300 deposit fee is required to secure a seat in the program. This deposit is part of the total Tuition and NOT in addition to it.
Regular Enrollment (Jan 11, 2020 through payment deadline): A nonrefundable $500 deposit fee is required to secure a seat in the program. This deposit is part of the total Tuition and NOT in addition to it.
Late Enrollment (payment deadline forward): A nonrefundable $600 deposit fee is required to secure a seat in the program. In addition, a $200 late fee will be added to all accounts not paid in full by the Tuition payment deadline.
Withdrawal & Cancellation Policy: If you paid the deposit fee but did not cancel your participation by the Tuition payment deadline, you are legally responsible for the full Tuition regardless of attendance at any IFR program. Please carefully read our Withdrawal & Cancellation Policy for further information.
Credit Card Processing Fee: A 2.5% processing fee is automatically incurred for all credit/debit card/online payments.
Academic Credit Opt Out: Students who wish to participate in an IFR field school without earning academic credit units may do so and receive the following discounts: $300 off a full program (4 or more weeks in length) or $200 off a short program (2-3 weeks in length).
Trip Cancellation Insurance: The IFR does not provide trip cancellation insurance. Read this Wall Street Journal article about travel insurance — it may help in making a decision whether such insurance is for you. If you do wish to purchase such insurance, Insure My Trip or Travel Guard are two possible resources you may wish to explore.
Accommodations
Students will be housed in purpose-built holiday homes in a mixture of single and twin-bedded rooms, which will be allocated using a random draw at the welcome meeting. Those sharing rooms will do so with others of the same gender. Fresh bed linen and regular cleaning of communal areas will be provided. Students should provide their own towels. There is a washing machine in each house.
The accommodation has a tennis court for the use of guests, there is a rocky shore approximately 10 minutes walk from the accommodation and a sandy beach 20 minutes walk away.
Three meals per day (breakfast/lunch/dinner) are included from Monday to Friday plus the welcome meal on the first Sunday evening. Tea, coffee, water and biscuits (cookies) will also be provided on site during the excavation. Students will need to prepare and bring their own packed lunch daily from groceries supplied by the project. A large tent will be provided on-site to store bags and for shelter at mealtimes if necessary. Evening meals will be prepared by a professional chef and will always include at least one option that contains meat, fish or poultry plus at least one vegetarian option. Students will be required to assist with washing up after meals. If you have any particular dietary needs or allergies then contact us in advance.
Travel Info
Hold purchasing your airline ticket until six (6) weeks prior to departure date. Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions and a range of other factors may require the cancellation of a field school. The IFR typically takes a close look at local conditions 6-7 weeks prior to program beginning and make Go/No Go decisions by then. This time frame still allows the purchase of discounted airline tickets while protecting students from potential loss of airline ticket costs if we decide to cancel a program.
As people will arrive at different times we will all meet at the Abbey Hotel on the Diamond in Donegal Town at 5pm on Sunday 23 June 2020. A meeting room will be available to us. However, if you arrive early then ask if you can leave luggage at Reception. After the welcome meeting we will share an evening meal before transferring to the accommodation.
It is strongly recommended that you fly into Dublin rather than Shannon airport as transport links are direct. From Dublin Airport or from Dublin Busáras (Main Bus Station) take Bus Eireann Service 30 or X30 which runs every 90 minutes to Donegal Town. The bus drops off directly outside the Abbey Hotel. See http://buseireann.ie for details. There is no train to Donegal, however bus services are available from all major towns, see http://buseireann.ie and http://busfeda.ie for details. If you miss your connection or your flight is delayed, please call, text or email the project director immediately. A local emergency cell phone number will be provided to all enrolled students.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
Citizens of the US and Canada do not require visas to enter Ireland. Your passport should be valid for at least 90 days after the end of your trip. Citizens of other countries are asked to check the embassy website of their home country for specific visa requirements.
Student Safety
The IFR primary concern is with education. Traveling and conducting field research involve risk. Students interested in participating in IFR programs must weigh whether the potential risk is worth the value of education provided. While risk is inherent in everything we do, we do not take risk lightly. The IFR engages in intensive review of each field school location prior to approval. Once a program is accepted, the IFR reviews each program annually to make sure it complies with all our standards and policies, including student safety.
Students attending IFR international programs are covered by a comprehensive Health Insurance policy that includes physical illness or injury, mental or chronic conditions. No deductible and 100% of costs are covered up to $250,000. In addition, we provide Political and Natural Disaster Evacuation policy, which allow us to remove students from field school location if local conditions change. Our field school directors are scholars that know field school locations and cultures well and are plugged in into local communities and state institution structures.
Students attending IFR domestic programs (within the US) must have their own health insurance and provide proof upon enrollment. IFR field school directors are familiar with local authorities and if in need of evacuation, local emergency services and/or law enforcement will be notified and activated.
The IFR has strong, explicit and robust policy towards discrimination and harassment in the field. If students feel they cannot discuss personal safety issues with field school staff, the IFR operates an emergency hotline where students may contact IFR personnel directly.
Call us at 877-839-4374 or email us at info@ifrglobal.org if you have questions about the safety of any particular program.