You are invited to a public lecture in our ‘Layers of Ireland’ series on Thursday May 21st, 2026 at 19.00 pm (Greece time), 17.00 pm (Ireland time), 12.00 pm (EST). Our speaker is Professor Muiris O’Sullivan (Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University College Dublin), on ‘The hill of Tara, Ireland: Myths, Monuments and Identities’.

Abstract: In his IIHSA lecture, Muiris O’Sullivan will explore some overlapping strands of Tara’s mythology, history and archaeology.  Unlike the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Brú na Bóinne, there are no imposing stone monuments on the Hill of Tara.  Again, unlike the precarious clifftop locations at Skellig Michael and Dún Aenghusa, the Tara landscape is not especially stunning. What sets Tara apart is its significance as a representation of Irish identity. For more than 5,000 years, this place seems to have encapsulated the soul of Ireland in a unique way.  It has been mythologised from before the dawn of history and continues to be infused with myth down to the present day.  Only a tiny portion of the hill has been excavated by archaeologists, but the results of these excavations suggest that Tara has a story to tell that is as remarkable as the myths it has inspired.

Biographical notes: Muiris O’Sullivan is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at University College Dublin.

In the 1980s, he participated in the excavations at Knowth in the Boyne Valley and was awarded a PhD for his thesis on megalithic art.  He was then invited to examine the unpublished archive from three seasons of archaeological excavations in the 1950s at the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara.  This monument, a Neolithic passage tomb overlain by a Bronze Age cemetery mound, had yielded spectacular results, but had remained unpublished.   In due course, he completed this project with a much-cited volume, The Mound of the Hostages, Tara (O’Sullivan 2005) and he subsequently organised the publication of a follow-up volume on the previously unpublished excavations at an adjacent Iron Age enclosure, The Rath of the Synods (Grogan 2008).  He then organised an international symposium dealing with Tara, resulting in the multi-author review volume, Tara – From the Past top the Future (O’Sullivan et al (eds) 2013).

Side by side with this research, he ran his own multi-season excavation at Knockroe, county Kilkenny, the outcome of which brought a previously anonymous passage tomb monument to national and international attention, not least for its solar alignments and significant assemblage of decorated stones.  More recently, he was the lead archaeological consultant for the updated visitor experience at the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site, opened in 2019, and he served on the international scientific committee of Paysages de Mégalithes, the  successful proposal of the megaliths in the Carnac and surrounding coastal region in Brittany, France, for UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

In addition to an extensive list of book chapters, papers in academic journals and contributions to international conference proceedings, he has written or co-written more than a hundred articles for the journal Archaeology Ireland.  He is lead author of the influential report Archaeological Features at Risk (Heritage Council,1998) and Antiquities of Rural Ireland (Wordwell, 2018).  He is also co-author of Cottage Industry in Post-Medieval Ireland (Wordwell, 2024) and the foresight study Archaeology 2020 (Heritage Council, 2006).

Professor O’Sullivan is a former head of the UCD School of Archaeology.  He was a member of the Heritage Council from 2016 to 2020 and led the preparation of Heritage at the Heart: Heritage Council Strategy 2018-2022.

“Sharing Ancient Irish Heritage with the Irish Diaspora in Greece” is a series of open public lectures on Irish archaeology, taking place throughout May 2026 under the overarching theme “Layers of Ireland” with the support of the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme.

Further information: To attend in person, please register by email: irishinstitutegr@gmail.com‍

Register for online attendance: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/puqQPb3BR6Gk8DXoVlbdtw

You are invited to a public lecture in our ‘Layers of Ireland’ series on Thursday May 14th, 2026 at 19.00 pm (Greece time), 17.00 pm (Ireland time), 12.00 pm (EST). Our speaker is Dr Ros Ó Maoldúin (Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland), on ‘Treasures of the Burren: Prehistoric Tombs and Ancient DNA.’

Abstract
Few landscapes in Ireland hold as many secrets as the Burren. In this talk, Dr Ó Maoldúin takes us on a vivid journey through one of Europe's most remarkable prehistoric landscapes - a vast limestone karst on Ireland's Wild Atlantic coast, where archaeological remains have survived for thousands of years.
The Burren's particular geology has earned it UNESCO Geopark status — but on its iconic limestone pavements there also lies an archaeological treasure trove of megalithic tombs and settlement traces. The same stone that shaped this landscape also preserved the bones of the people who lived on it, with profound implications for modern science. Human remains recovered here are among the best-preserved in Ireland and researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from these bones, opening a remarkable window onto the lives, movements,and relationships of people who lived here thousands of years ago.

Dr O Maoldúin brings this story to life through his own excavations: three Chalcolithic megalithic tombs, a barrow, and several prehistoric hut sites, all uncovered in this extraordinary landscape. Illustrated with photographs from the field, this talk offers a first-hand account of discovery at the intersection of archaeology and cutting-edge genetic science.

“Sharing Ancient Irish Heritage with the Irish Diaspora in Greece” is a series of open public lectures on Irish archaeology, taking place throughout May 2026 under the overarching theme “Layers of Ireland” with the support of the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme.

Further information:

To attend in person, register by email: irishinstituegr@gmail.com

For online attendance, please register: https://uso6web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HZd_LLAWTxmzMZ8vD|62QA

For online attendance please register here:
‍ ‍https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/jASQ5mZBS0O29Sw9E2DDSw‍ ‍

To attend in person, please register by email: irishinstitutegr@gmail.com‍ ‍

Dr Clare Tuffy will lead a hands-on workshop on Stone Age megalithic art. Explore ancient symbols and patterns through interactive activities designed for all ages.

Workshop activities
• Discover ancient art from Ireland's best known prehistoric sites

• Use your imagination to decorate a tomb with megalithic desings

• Try your hand at stone age maths

• Get a realistic temporary tattoo incorporating Neolithic designs! (safe, non-toxic and pain free)

• Learn a traditional Irish children's song at the end

“Sharing Ancient Irish Heritage with the Irish Diaspora in Greece” is a series of open public lectures on Irish archaeology, taking place throughout May 2026 under the overarching theme “Layers of Ireland” with the support of the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme.

Further information: To register your place: irishinstituegr@gmail.com

You are invited to a public lecture in our ‘Layers of Ireland’ series on Thursday May 7th, 2026 at 19.00 pm (Greece time), 17.00 pm (Ireland time), 12.00 pm (EST). Our speaker is Dr Clare Tuffy (former Manager at Brú na Bóinne), on ‘The Archaeology of the Boyne Valley’.

Abstract
The Boyne Valley was Ireland's ancient capital and its most sacred and mythical landscape. Over nearly six millennia, the story of Ireland has been written along the banks of the river Boyne. This presentation explores ancient tombs and royal sites, early Christian monasteries, a vast Anglo Norman Castle and a fierce battle that changed the course of European history.

“Sharing Ancient Irish Heritage with the Irish Diaspora in Greece” is a series of open public lectures on Irish archaeology, taking place throughout May 2026 under the overarching theme “Layers of Ireland” with the support of the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme.

Further information:

To attend in person, register by email: irishinstitutegr@gmail.com

For online attendance, register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Qlr7L4OcSp60hk2nftlrmQ