Finally done! 4.5 years of work, 512 different squares and 2 matching unique blankets.

The desk squares have finally been put together! I’m sure there’s a lesson in there about consistency and hard work paying off over time, but really the colours just make me happy.

A lovely day for a field trip with my Intro to Irish Archaeology class! We took students to Newgrange, Mellifont Abbey and Monasterboice. #irisharchaeology #archaeology #Newgrange

Perfect weather this afternoon for collecting raw materials from the beach in Bray. Flint was particularly plentiful today, but I also came home with some nice new hammer stones. By far the strangest find of the day: a wax candle. 🤷‍♀️

So happy today to finally be holding this in my hand. I am proud of my adoptive country and grateful every day to be here.

January’s squares. It was a busy month with conference planning, teaching and probably too much overcommitting. I’m more productive when I take a few minutes out of the day to stop and do something else, so the busier I am, the more squares I make. #phdstudent #crochet

Snatching a few moments of calm today while being a taxi for the kids and their friends.

A lovely evening last night at the DYO annual gala concert. Just one kid left in the DYO- It’s hard to believe this era in our lives is nearly at an end!

Alas! This year’s 100 days of running wasn’t meant be. After a lovely morning run yesterday an old ankle injury started acting up. It’s flared up before and usually just needs a couple of days of rest, so that’s what I’m going to give it. Hopefully I’ll be back running in a few days.

The rain finally turned to snow! One kid is hoping for a snow day tomorrow and another can’t wait to go back to school. Meanwhile, the university kids are smugly enjoying it all in their pyjamas.

Day 1/100 days of running: New Year’s Day run on the Curragh. After last year’s 100 days I really missed the daily run, so I’m doing it again this year! The (self-imposed) rules are the same- minimum 1 mile a day, any pace. #100daysofrunning #curragh #kildare

Full holiday mode has been achieved: endless boardgames, knitting and chocolate. #knitting #hiberknitalong

December’s squares. I keep wool at my desk and try to make time to crochet one square a day no matter how busy/stressful things get. It’s only a few minutes each day, but it’s satisfying to see it add up over time. #PhDStudent #Crochet

As I’m new here, an introduction! I’m Deborah, a PhD student at UCD studying the life history of Moynagh Points (MPs) to learn what they can tell us about life in Late Mesolithic/Early Neolithic Ireland. You’ll often find me flint knapping, working on replica MPs or just running away from it all!

“Emerging Voices in Archaeology”
Association of Young Irish Archaeologists (AYIA) conference 15-16 Feb 2025, University College Dublin.
The AYIA invites undergraduate, postgraduate and recent graduate archaeology students from Irish universities to share their research.

TINYURL.COM/AYIA2025