Donegal Daily
  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Politics
  • Features
  • Donegal County Council News
Wednesday 20°CThursday 21°C

Donegal Daily Donegal Daily

sponsor banner
sponsor banner
  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Politics
  • Features
  • Donegal County Council News
Lead StoriesNews

Investigation launched after ancient ‘bog butter’ found in Donegal

written by Cronan Scanlon July 5, 2024
FacebookTweetLinkedInPrint

Main pic: Archaeologist, Paula Harvey, with local men Micheál Boyle and Alan Moore, and the giant slab of butter. Pic: ‘Think you are from Portnoo?’ Facebook page.

There was an air of excitement in south west Donegal this week following the discovery of what appears to be an ancient slab of butter.

The large rectangular chunk was found on the farm of a local man in the Portnoo area on Tuesday.

Donegal Daily understands the discovery was made jointly by the landowner and another local man while working in a waterlogged field.

Ms Caroline Carr, Assistant Curator at Donegal County Museum, confirmed the discovery was reported to them as well as the National Museum of Ireland.

Staff at the National Museum are currently investigating the site of the find. 

“The butter will be taken to the Conservation Department, National Museum, for research and analysis,” Ms Carr added.

One of the men who made the discovery is, literally, up to his knees in butter…

People have been finding ‘bog butter’ in County Donegal for at least two centuries. In the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland in 1892, Rev James O’Laverty recounts finding a lump that “still retains the marks of the hand and fingers of the ancient dame who pressed it into its present shape” and that “tastes somewhat like cheese.”

The tradition of using bogs to keep butter edible dates back over 3,500 years, according to a 2019 study. The research was carried out by scientists and archaeologists at University College Dublin, Queen’s University, University College Cork, the University of Bristol and the National Museum of Ireland.

The bog’s preservative powers are so strong that butter can still be edible after centuries in the ground, according to the group.

However, the Portnoo discovery was slightly more unusual in that it was made in a waterlogged field which has appeared to have preserved it.

In early medieval Ireland, butter was also used as a means to pay taxes and rents.

It may have been an offering to the gods to keep people and their property safe – it would have been buried and never dug up again.

Investigation launched after ancient ‘bog butter’ found in Donegal was last modified: July 6th, 2024 by Cronan Scanlon
FacebookTweetLinkedInPrint

Tags:
Donegal bog butter discoveryDonegal County Museumnational museum of ireland
Cronan Scanlon

LEAVE A COMMENT

You may also like

Lough Swilly RNLI tasked to assist stranded...

1 hour ago

North West 10k Committee to be honoured...

2 hours ago

Fund set up for family of tragic...

2 hours ago

Nineteen post offices closed across Donegal over...

3 hours ago

‘Drought’ declared in Milford as Uisce Eireann...

4 hours ago

Passing of highly respected Raphoe shopkeeper, Paddy...

4 hours ago

Cloudy start but sunshine will arrive in...

5 hours ago

National: Man, 20s, killed in motorcycle crash...

5 hours ago

‘I’ve raised defective blocks 23 times in...

6 hours ago

Call for action on Drumboe paths still...

6 hours ago
Advertisement
Advertisement

Donegal County Council

Facebook
Donegal County Council
Advertisement
Advertisement
Donegal Daily Jobs

Read More

  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Sales & Services
  • Obituaries
  • Features
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Council News

Information

  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise WIth Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions

Our Sites

Donegal Woman
Donegal Woman
Donegal Daily

© 2025 Donegal Daily. All rights reserved.
Website by owenod


Back To Top.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.