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Lough Gur —County Limerick

Around a horseshoe-shaped lake, Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age communities farmed, hunted and fished, shaped pottery, fashioned weapons and defences and worshipped in different ages and different wages of settlers. Dating back to 3000 BC Stone Age houses were set below the Red Cellar cave which was the winter sleeping quarters of the brown bear and other extinct animals. Dating from around 2000 BC is the great Stone Circle which is the largest in Ireland. Excavations in the 1940s recovered one of only three surviving Bronze Age shields and distinctive beaker pottery pointing to the influence of different cultures in the settlement. Viking silver was unearthed at the early Christian stone forts close to the lake. Castles succeeded a lake dwelling defence that was built on an artificial island, with 15th century ruins surviving.