May 2013 – Ogham in 3D Launch, School of Celtic Studies

The Ogham in 3D project website was launched by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, on Wednesday 8^th May at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. The project, which is based in the School of Celtic Studies at DIAS, is carrying out 3D laser-scanning and digitisation of Ogham stones throughout Ireland thus allowing for 3D models of the stones to be viewed on the website as part of a multi-disciplinary, searchable archive of Ogham.

Commenting on the launch, Minister Deenihan said “The importance of Ogham stones cannot be overstated as they are a record of the earliest inscriptions in the Irish language. Some of them date as far back as the 4^th Century AD, and represent a monument type that is not only of national, but also international significance. This wonderful project demonstrates the importance of developing synergies with institutions. Such co operation not only maintains advances in research and contributes to promoting awareness of the rich archaeological heritage of the country but it also further enhances its protection.”

Funding for the current phase of the project, focusing on Ogham stones in state care under the supervision of the National Monuments Service, has been made available by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan. In October 2012 work began on this pilot project in collaboration with the Discovery Programme, experts in 3D capture and modelling. To date approximately 50 Ogham stones have been scanned and digitised from the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry and counties Waterford, Kilkenny, Kildare, Carlow and Wicklow, as well as many from the National Museum of Ireland’s collection. The launch also featured on the RTE news that evening. (Click here to watch RTE video).

The website is located at http://ogham.celt.dias.ie

Please click on photo above for larger image. Pictured from left to right: Jimmy Deenihan TD (Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht), Professor Liam Breatnach (Senior Professor and Director of the School of Celtic Studies, DIAS), Cecil Keaveney (Registrar of DIAS), Dr Nora White (School of Celtic Studies and Principal Investigator on the Ogham in 3D project).