Irish Schoolboy Ditches Homework To Go Swimming And Finds A 4,000-Year-Old Longboat
Mick McCormack/Irish CentralCathal McDonagh poses with the ancient longboat he discovered while swimming in a lake near his home.
Cathal McDonagh, a 12-year-old Irish schoolboy, ditched his homework — and made an incredible historical discovery as a result. Leaving his books on the table to go wading in the lake one day in June, he found 4,000-year-old boat.
According to The Vintage News, McDonagh made the historical discovery near his house in Lisacul, in County Roscommon, Ireland. Wading into the lake with his rubber boots, McDonagh was only ankle-deep when he bumped into the remains of this mysterious vessel.
Ireland had been experiencing a drought that July. Without the lower water levels, it’s safe to say that neither McDonagh nor anyone else would’ve noticed the boat in the first place. Though he attempted to carry it to shore, it was too heavy for the boy.
After calling his parents to help out, the trio brought the ship to land for perhaps the first time in thousands of years. It was only then that they realized they had been lifting a 17.5-foot-longboat, which appeared to have been carved out of a log. Perhaps most stunning was how well-preserved it was for being in the water so long.
Irish IndependentThe McDonagh family in action.
Furthermore, this historical discovery was extremely rare. There haven’t been too many longboats of this kind found in the British Isles — let alone ones in good condition. The McDonaghs contacted the Underwater Archaeology Unit of Ireland’s Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht to have them take over.
The proper experts traveled out to examine the family’s historical discovery. They helped secure, transport, and preserve the boat. As for the age of the stunning find? The fact that it was found in a lake containing a crannog — a man-made island made by Ancient Celts — places it at around 4,000 years old.
This history news proves that the past never ceases to offer up new treasures to uncover — and it doesn’t always take a historian or archeologist to make an exciting historical discovery.
The most exciting historical discoveries of 2020 were sometimes made by accident, while others indeed required decades of effort. Meanwhile, some history news was made at carefully controlled archaeological sites like the pyramids whereas other discoveries simply presented themselves to the world, like when a sinkhole opened up out of nowhere.
But no matter how they unfolded, these history news stories enriched our understanding of the past immeasurably.
In 2020, we certainly had an exciting wealth of historical discoveries. But it’s likewise certain that the years to come will offer further developments on these finds as well as thrilling historical news stories of their own. What kind of history news will we see in 2021? 2025? What discoveries in the future will help our descendants better understand the past? Only time will tell.
After reading about 15 of the most astonishing historical discoveries of 2020, take a look at 31 historical photos taken just before the iconic moment. Then, read about nine interesting historical events you never learned about in school.
