THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Ulster Ancient Monuments Advisory Committee view composite of Navan fort during meeting

A meeting of the Ancient Monuments Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland reported the News Letter on this day in 1928.

The meeting had been presided over by Dean of Down and in attendance had been Lady Dorothy Lowry-Corry, Drs Macalister and Chart, Messrs Robinson, Lawlor, Deane and Lepper.

During the meeting an interesting composite view of Navan Fort, near Armagh, and its vicinity was presented.

The composite had been constructed by the RAF Aldergrove from a number of vertical photographs.

The News Letter noted: “This clearly shows a rath, hitherto unknown, to the east of the fort, with probably a similar rath beside it. Another rath is fairly clearly shown close under the great circle to the west. The rath within the circle near the high mound is very clearly shown, and near it there are some dubious indications of another round enclosure.”

The meeting also discussed whether or not to allow a small aperture could be cut in the outer wall of the late tower at Maghera Church, Co Londonderry, to allow the 11th century stone carving of the Crucifixion to be seen and photographed. It was the advice of the committee that this should not take place on the ground that the date of the tower was not known with certainty and that “in any case it was an integral part of the monument”.

The committee recommended that a cast should be made for photographic purposes.

The attention of the meeting was also directed to the threats which were faced by a fort in the suburbs of Belfast by “building operations”.

On this matter it was decided that the Ministry be advised to communicate with the parties concerned with a view to the preservation of the outlines of the fort “if possible”.