A Thousand Miles of Concrete: Second World War Airfields in N.I

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and the Northern Ireland War Memorial (NIWM) welcome you to a talk by Dr. James O'Neill.

For many, built heritage is represented by the megaliths, raths and medieval castles, and the many listed buildings which can be found throughout Ireland. However, the most traumatic and destructive war in human history, World War II, has left an enduring mark on the archaeological heritage of Northern Ireland, in the many defence structures built during the six years of war.

The largest of these were the airfield and flying boat stations. Twenty-two were operational during the war, but their very size has led to their being lost in plain sight. Runways, dispersals, gunnery ranges and bomb stores all disappeared behind foliage and redevelopment. However, we know that thousands of structures remain scattered across the landscape.