There is more to the Hill of The O’Neill in Dungannon than meets the eye – ‘Proposal to remove “eyesore” mast from historic clan site’ (July 14).
I was one of the archaeologists called in to work at the site during 2003 when the fence was being installed around the communications tower prior to its being handed over to the local council.
Each of the fence posts required a large foundation trench, and at almost every trench the installers encountered archaeological remains – the location of the communications tower is literally a hot spot for archaeology.
Looking at the site through the twin towers, as your photograph does, then, dealing with the nearest row of post trenches, the front face of a substantial stone wall was recorded (by me and one other) in one trench to the left and the rear face in the adjoining trench, which gives some indication of just how substantial it is.
To the right, one of the trenches cut through the roof of one of the many tunnels that linked the fortification with a number of strategic locations around the hill so that troops could move about without being seen.
This tunnel is full of debris from the collapsed structure above that the army piled in to clear the surface to lay a concrete pad for helicopters to land on.
Along the right edge trenches for fence posts encountered a tunnel, and there is a cobble surface.
The furthest trenches from the twin towers also revealed intact cobbled surfaces, which were recorded and then excavated to reveal ditches and assorted features.
Beneath one cobbled surface to the far left there was a dark organic layer from which I recovered the thick one-inch stem from a broken glass goblet.
In short, if the communication tower can be removed, then there is a wealth of archaeological remains that can better inform today’s generation about the history of this important site.
If the local council want to find out more they can get in touch either with me or the site director from that excavation.
And, I seem to remember The Irish News paid a visit the site at that time as well to take a few photographs.
Working on this archaeological site helped set up my work on Early Byzantine and Christian sites, including Ostia Antiqua just outside Rome and the Sisters of Nazareth convent in Israel, which in turn led to publication of The Early Byzantine Christian Church, and Nazareth Quest. Yes, you see these hands have touched the ground that one Jesus of Nazareth and his mother walked on.
Not bad for a heating engineer from Portadown, eh?
DR BERNARD MULHOLLAND
Belfast BT9
Rishi Sunak is in office but not in power
Whenever accountability comes knocking at the door of No 10 Downing Street Rishi Sunak goes missing. Indeed, Rishi could rival Houdini as an escape act. Incredibly, the PM will be ‘missing’ from the House of Commons for the debate and potential vote on the Privileges Committee’s recent report – even though seven Tory MPs and three peers could be ruled in contempt of Parliament.
This is not the first performance of Sunak’s disappearance act. Sunak’s magic diary conjures up important meetings on the same date at venues far, far from Westminster whenever any subject related to Boris Johnson, Conservative sleaze or Parliamentary integrity comes up. He conveniently ‘missed’ the votes on punishments for Owen Paterson and Boris Johnson. Sunak has also dodged an unprecedented number of potentially challenging PMQs.
The Privileges Committee’s report describes a coordinated campaign designed to sabotage its inquiry into Boris Johnson. It alluded to a toxic and autocratic culture deeply embedded within the Tory party. This situation clearly terrifies Sunak. His failure to condemn such action demonstrates his impotence.
This is the Tory government which led Britain into the Brexit economic disaster on a false premise with no post-Brexit strategy and rendered the NHS not fit for purpose due to a decade of austerity. It has systematically dismantled rights designed to protect the public and endeavoured to undermine the checks and balances meant to hold them to account.
Sunak is either unwilling or unable to challenge the right-wing Brexit faction dictating its direction of travel. He resembles John Major in the twilight of his administration – “in office but not in power”.
GEORGE WORKMAN
Donabate, Co Dublin
Scandals could herald end of licence fee
The recent scandals have seen the BBC in torpor, in our own region and on a national scale. The reason for this torpor was the assurance given by the government that until 2027 the BBC would have unrestricted power to enforce the collection of licence fees, which would be used to pay astronomical salaries to mediocre presenters such as Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Stephen Nolan.
BBC audiences are plummeting in Northern Ireland and in neighbouring Scotland the viewing figure has dropped by a third since the epidemic. When so few people are watching hopefully this will herald the end of the ludicrous licence fee and, more importantly, may be the catalyst for the rebirth of a scandal-free, once renowned British Broadcasting Corporation.
WILSON BURGESS
Derry City
Monument to Henry Joy overdue
Isn’t it time for Belfast to erect a monument to the life of the late great radical Presbyterian, Henry Joy McCracken?
He was born in High Street, tried in the Assembly Rooms and then hanged at the corner of High Street and Corn Market on July 17 1798 - a selfless individual who tried to unite Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter.
Later this year the city council will erect two monuments, one to Mary Ann McCracken and another to Winifred Carney, in the grounds of the City Hall.
Perhaps Belfast City Council could continue this sterling work and take the lead in commemorating this great Belfast citizen?
JIM McVEIGH
The United Irish Historical Society
