Landscapes of hunting and assembly in the north of Ireland—three case-studies

Although the study of assembly places in Ireland has advanced considerably in recent years, much work remains to be done. Repeated themes in place-names, archaeology and landscape at various sites throughout the north of Ireland mark out gathering places ranging in date from the early medieval period through to the seventeenth century. Three medieval case-studies, two in County Tyrone and one in County Down, are employed to show that an approach that combines archaeological survey with place-name study can identify previously unrecognised assembly places which existed at the level below that of better-known regional gathering places. Formaoil and Suí Finn places are discussed as being not only gathering sites in themselves but also integral parts of wider assembly landscapes.