• Displayed in our foyer we have priceless pristine set of antlers. These were discovered on the shores of Lough Beg in 1953.  They tell an amazing story of local brothers, Seamus Heaney and a famous palaeontologist. With The Elk being in such close proximity to the Seamus Heaney Homeplace we wanted to go deeper into our connection to Seamus and his work. We are extremely fortunate to be featured in one of his most famous poems “Bogland”. Please click the link below to read about how The Elk Complex got its name.

Who discovered the antlers?

Hugh, John and Frank McGrogan discovered the antlers. The family home is situated still just across the road from The Elk. Generations of The McGrogan family have called The Elk their local.

Professor R. J. G. Savage

We have a little information on the man who was able to extract so much information from the antlers. He was born in Northern Ireland in 1927 and educated at Methodist College, Belfast and Welsey College, Dublin. He graduated in 1948 with a BSc in Zoology from Queen’s University, Belfast and the following year obtained a First in Geology, also at Queen’s. His PhD was awarded by University College London in 1953, a year after he had taken up his first academic position as Assistant Lecturer in Geology at Queen’s University, Belfast.

In 1954 he moved to Bristol University as Lecturer in Geology and Curator of the Geology Museum. Nineteen sixty-six saw his promotion to Reader in Vertebrate Palaeontology and in 1982 he was promoted to Professor of the same department. He remained there until his retirement in 1992.

• Download copy of our story. Click the image below.