Tyrone fisherman finds skull of Great Irish Elk believed to be over 10,000 years old
One Tyrone fisherman’s catch of the day was like none he had ever found before.
Ardboe fisherman Raymond McElroy pulled the skull of the extinct Great Irish Elk from his fishing net in Lough Neagh.
Great Irish Elks used to roam Ireland about 17,000 years ago, until environmental changes caused their extinction between 10,500 or 11,000 years ago.
It’s understood that a jawbone pulled from the lough in June 2014 was dated as at least 14,000-years-old by Ulster Museum curator Kenneth James.
However, it’s safe to say that McElroy’s catch is a little bigger than just a jawbone.
Speaking to Belfast Live , McElroy said how he had a tough job hauling the massive catch onboard.
“It came up in the net on the side of the boat. I thought it was a bit of black oak to begin with. I was shocked to begin with when I got it over the side and saw the skull and antlers.”
The Northern Irish fisherman said he found the skull and antlers in the same place as the jawbone was discovered in June 2014.
Who knows what else is lurking beneath the surface.
