‘Irish history starts here’ – How Coleraine’s ancient Mountsandel site could become Northern Ireland’s next big attraction.
Posted by Jim on August 30, 2026
The Mesolithic site in the Co Derry town is the oldest settlement site in Ireland, but is largely unmarked.
(L-R) Members of the Mountsandel Discovery and Heritage Group Dorothy Black, Patrick Lennon and Jennifer Sturgeon, with the riverbank across the Bann identified as a possible site for a new tourist attraction related to the ancient site.
By Mark RobinsonOpens in new window
August 30, 2026 at 6:00am BST
A heritage group in Coleraine believes that a feasibility study into the future of the oldest known settlement in Ireland could lead to it becoming Northern Ireland’s next big tourist attraction.
The Mesolithic site, which is located not far from the banks of the River Bann, was first discovered in the 1970s in a survey led by archaeologist Peter Woodman.
While they initially suspected to uncover a Neolithic site, dating back around 7,000 years, they ended up discovering what would come to be recognised as the first main settlement site on the island of Ireland, at 9,700 years old, used by nomadic groups for a large part of the year.
However, the site of historical importance remains almost completely unmarked, while the nearby – and much younger – Mountsandel Fort is visibly designated as a state care monument.
Jennifer Sturgeon, from the Mounstandel Discovery & Heritage Group (MDHG), said that as it is, most people would just see the site as a “field of weeds”.
“I think one of the sad things for us is that many local people wouldn’t be aware of the significance of this site,” she said.
“They wouldn’t know what it was unless they walked through the forest and saw the signage and the information panels.
“But one of our aims is to promote understanding and knowledge of this site.”
Ms Sturgeon, who is an accredited national Irish tour guide, added that it was “sad” that many people on tour buses around the island pass over Coleraine on their way from the Giant’s Causeway to Derry city.
“They miss all this wonderful stuff in between,” she said.
“There’s nowhere to bring them to here in Coleraine and it would be very nice to be able to have a heritage centre, an information centre, a bespoke building with all the information about the multi layers of history in this area.”
MDHG’s Patrick Lennon said the site played an important role subsequently in Celtic mythology and later in the history of early Christianity.
“Various settlements have been discovered along this particular river which were inhabited by the Vikings as a trading post, but also further on when the Normans came to Ireland – they continued to find areas in which they could settle and this was one of the areas which they settled as well,” he said.
From the 17th century onwards, the natural weir was developed into a managed site at The Cutts for fishing salmon and eels and also housed a linen factory nearby.
In 2022, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council took ownership of the Mesolithic field site. Since then, they have launched a development project to increase awareness and a new archaeological survey at the plot began in May of this year.
MDHG also regularly engages with local schools to improve understanding among children.
They now hope that a site across the river, benefiting from existing car parking infrastructure at Christie Park and Somerset, can be developed into a dedicated centre, if funding were to be approved for a feasibility study.
“On this side of the river, there’s a lot of housing development and it doesn’t lend itself to encouraging a lot of visitors. We don’t want to disturb people in this area either,” Mr Lennon said.
“Having an opportunity to find a means of bringing people across from the other infrastructures already there would be very beneficial.
“It would also act as a route for local people both for walking and for cycling and whether that, in the interim, might be a ferry route across or whether that would be an actual bridge footbridge, that has to be determined.
“That’s through some form of focused feasibility study, looking at the cost benefits for that and looking at the wider benefits for the community for the opportunity to develop some form of loop walk both up and down the river.”
A spokesperson for the council said that they work closely with the group and other stakeholders to provide “strategic direction on the development of the wider Mountsandel experience concept”.
“Key priorities include the improvement of natural amenity and educational opportunities for the local community and visitors,” they said.
While they added that they do not currently have plans for a dedicated hub or feasibility study, the area in question has been included in the consultation process for the Coleraine Future Town Fund as part of a UK Government programme.
“The Coleraine Future Town Fund’s programme of work to determine which community-identified projects will be supported by the Pride in Place funding is ongoing and the outcomes of this will be published in due course,” they said