This is the main beam of an ancient plough. It is thought to be the oldest wooden plough found in Ireland, dating to 1050-1230AD.
It was discovered in 1957 by James Taylor of Drumlee. After being brought to Ballymoney Town Hall for display, it was then seized and impounded by the local police!
They took it to Belfast to be examined by archaeologists who believed it was of an artefact of outstanding importance. The plough was even photographed for the national newspapers. After it had been studied, it was returned to Ballymoney.
There are many variations in the types of ploughs used across Britain and Ireland. The Ballymoney plough is an unusual find, although it does have similarities to ploughs discovered in Scotland and even Austria.
Medieval wooden plough
Contributed by Ballymoney Museum
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- Location
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Drumlee, Finvoy, Ballymoney
- Culture
- Period
- Theme
- Size
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- H:
- 170cm
- W:
- 50cm
- Colour
- Material
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