Giant Deer roamed Ireland 10,000 years ago.  The soil here (bogs of peet in many places) is a good preserver.  They’ve found many interesting fossils in the bogs, including human remains.

In Thurles, Dave and I saw an impressive set of antlers hanging in the dining room of the castle. And in Kilkenny, my Mom and I saw another set in the dining room of the Rothe House.  These antlers haven’t been hanging her too long (in Irish terms).  They were uncovered only in 1900.

They have been hung at the height the deer’s head would have stood above the floor.  An impressive creature, no?  The informational plaque depicts what he would have looked like during his lifetime.

Antlers of a Giant Irish Deer.

Description posted at the Rothe House in Kilkenny