Local schoolchildren and members of the public participated in a week-long archaeological survey at the Mountsandel site in Coleraine, one of Ireland's most significant Mesolithic locations.

The survey was led by Professor Graeme Warren of University College Dublin and employed non-invasive techniques such as electromagnetic survey, magnetometry, and ground-penetrating radar to establish baseline data on the site's archaeological potential.

It forms part of the Mountsandel project within the Causeway Coast and Glens PEACEPLUS Action Plan, supported by the PEACEPLUS programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, and co-funded by the European Union, the UK Government, the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

On Tuesday 2 June, more than 90 pupils from St Malachy's Primary School, Straidbilly Primary School, Damhead Primary School, and Ballytober Primary School visited the site. The archaeological team explained the site's significance, demonstrated survey equipment, and answered questions.

A public engagement session on Saturday 6 June drew around 40 attendees, where Professor Warren summarised the survey findings and discussed Mountsandel's importance for understanding Ireland's earliest inhabitants.

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Dawn Huggins, noted that Mountsandel's history stretches back thousands of years and that the week's events highlighted community pride in local heritage and the need to preserve it.

The survey aims to help researchers identify surviving archaeological remains and areas of sensitivity, with the strategy developed in collaboration with the Historic Environment Division and input from the Mountsandel Discovery and Heritage Group.