Primary tabs

Ed Whelan

My name is Edward Whelan and I graduated with a PhD in history in 2008. Between 2010-2012 I worked in the Limerick City Archives. I have written a book and several peer reviewed journal articles. At present I am a full-time freelance writer and researcher and live in Gillogue, County Clare.

I am from Limerick in the Republic of Ireland. I have a lifelong love of history and have been fascinated by the subject from an early age. I attended the University of Maynooth 2003-2008 and studied history and classical studies. I obtained a BA from Maynooth and was admitted to the History PhD program. Based on my BA results I was awarded two scholarships and during my post-graduate studies I worked as a tutor.

History

Member for: 6 years 2 weeks

Opt-in to Ancient Origins Newsletter (AC):

Yes

Posts

Donnington Castle near Newbury in West Berkshire Source: Piotr / Adobe Stock

20 June, 2020 - 23:02 Ed Whelan

Donnington Castle, Proud Survivor of Parliamentary Guns

There are various types of castles in Britain built by conquerors, rightful kings and wealthy supporters of the monarchs. One of the most distinctive is that of Donnington Castle (not to be confused...

A side view of the Antarctica fossil of the giant egg. Source: Legendre et al. 2020 / University of Texas

19 June, 2020 - 19:01 Ed Whelan

Mystery Solved For Football Sized Antarctica Fossil

Researchers believe that they have deciphered the secrets of a mysterious fossil that was found in Antarctica. They now believe that the Antarctica fossil was a soft egg that belonged to an extinct...

Buddhist monk meditation in temple Source: Sasint / Adobe Stock

19 June, 2020 - 02:01 Ed Whelan

The Ancient Temples and Tolerance of Ramateertham Village, India

India is blessed with an abundance of ancient historic and religious sites, but the small village of Ramateertham is unique. Nestled in its hills are sites that are sacred to Buddhists, Jains, and...

Old Indian Shiva temple unearthed on the Penna River near Peramalla Padu village, Andra Pradesh, India Source: ANI

18 June, 2020 - 18:55 Ed Whelan

Villagers Unearth Indian Temple Buried in River Sand

In India , local people have discovered an old temple that had been buried beneath river sand for 80 years. The Hindhu temple is dedicated to Lord Nageswara and was once immensely popular with...

Newly discovered Thracian pit sanctuary in Burgas, Bulgaria Source: RHM Burgas

18 June, 2020 - 13:59 Ed Whelan

Ritual Thracian Pit Sanctuary Found in Bulgaria

A new pit sanctuary has been uncovered in Bulgaria during construction work. This site is up to 2500 years old and is thought to have been used by Thracian tribal groups, for ritual purposes. The...

Ancient Jain sculpture was discovered unexpectedly by a farmer ploughing his field in Telangana. Source: The News Minute

16 June, 2020 - 22:58 Ed Whelan

Farmer Discovers Ancient Jain Statue Whilst Plowing in Southern India

In India, a farmer working his land has made an important discovery. He unearthed a rare Jain statue, that dates back over a millennium. It is believed that traces of a temple have also been...

Stained glass window showing the French brotherhood ‘Confrérie des Charitables de Saint-Éloi’, in Saint-Vaast Church, Béthune Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

16 June, 2020 - 00:48 Ed Whelan

French Brotherhood, Still Burying the Dead After 800 Years

In France, a brotherhood that is over 800 years old is helping to bury the dead during the COVID-19 pandemic. This fraternity, which has its origins in medieval times, continues to assist at burials...

Roman legionary Source: serpeblu / Adobe Stock

14 June, 2020 - 22:58 Ed Whelan

Kings Weston Roman Villa, Where a Murder Lay Hidden for 1500 Years

Britain was part of the Roman Empire from the 1 st century AD to the start of the 5 th century AD when the emperor withdrew the legions from the islands and left the inhabitants to govern and fend...

The Iron Age “Game of Mercenaries” likely inspired the popular Viking age board game called ‘Hnefatafl.’ Source: Olga Makukha /Adobe Stock

14 June, 2020 - 14:02 Ed Whelan

Researchers Find Relics from an Iron Age ‘Game of Mercenaries’

Archaeologists excavating a burial in Norway have made a discovery that is offering a unique insight into Iron Age games and pastimes. They found evidence of a board game that was modelled on a...

The Bridestones, several large stones Source: Peel, M / CC BY-SA 4.0

12 June, 2020 - 01:32 Ed Whelan

Unveiling the Bridestones Cairn of Cheshire

The British landscape is dotted with the remains of its Stone Age past. We are all familiar with Stonehenge , one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world, but few people are familiar...

Terracotta model of a chariot used by the Kura-Araxes people, 4th-3rd millennium BC Source: Tehran Times / CC 4.0

11 June, 2020 - 23:05 Ed Whelan

Advanced Bronze Age Kura-Araxes Burial Ground Found in Iran

Iran has been home to many important cultures and societies throughout history. Archaeologists now believe that they have found relics and artifacts from a burial ground related to a Bronze Age...

Representative example of an ancient log boat. Source: Juhku / Adobe Stock

10 June, 2020 - 13:54 Ed Whelan

Irish Schoolboy Finds Ancient Log Boat While Out Paddling

In Ireland, a schoolboy went for a paddle and found a log boat that could date to the Stone Age . The boy, while playing in a nearby lake, came across a well-preserved boat that is possibly 4000...

Aerial view of Frankenstein Castle in southern Hesse, Germany Source: Iurii / Adobe Stock

10 June, 2020 - 01:33 Ed Whelan

Witches, Monsters and Dragons, All at Frankenstein Castle

Castles are often associated with the supernatural and gruesome events and none more so than one of the most famous castles in all of Germany, Frankenstein Castle. This ruined fortress is synonymous...

Part of the Maya wall paintings featuring musicians dressed in European attire (three figures on the left) and a dancer in Maya dress (rightmost figure). Image: R. Słaboński / Antiquity Publications Ltd

9 June, 2020 - 01:14 Ed Whelan

Stunning Maya Wall Paintings Uncovered in Guatemalan House

Remarkable Maya wall paintings have been found in Guatemala that are unparalleled in Central America . These newly discovered Maya murals are special because they contain both indigenous and Spanish...

Edward Colston Statue in Bristol City Centre Has Been Toppled Source: CC BY-SA 2.0

8 June, 2020 - 17:28 Ed Whelan

Edward Colston Statue Sunk in Bristol Harbor

A historic but very controversial statue has been toppled in Bristol, England. Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors pulled down a statue of a figure who was prominent in the development of the...

The Byzantine church at the possible biblical city Bethsaida, flooded by the swollen Kinneret. Source: Nir-Shlomo Zelinger

6 June, 2020 - 18:50 Ed Whelan

Biblical Village Cursed by Jesus Flooded by Rising Sea of Galilee

As life regains some normalcy in many countries, archaeologists have returned to work on several archaeological sites around the world. In Israel, local archaeologists were stunned to discover that...

Pages