The Lough Lene Boat, also known as The Monks' Boat, is an underwater archaeological artifact from prehistoric Ireland. It was discovered in 1968 on the east side of Lough Lene, County Westmeath nearest to the Cummerstown/Windtown townlands of Collinstown. Radiocarbon dating revealed that the boat was constructed sometime between the 1st and 4th century. Discovery The boat, which resembled a "dug out canoe", was discovered by divers belonging to the local Mullingar Sub Aqua Club. The divers moved the boat into shallower water and then, on 28 September 1968, brought it ashore for examination by experts. Characteristics P. O hEailidhe from the National Museum of Ireland reported: "the Lough Lene boat combines techniques of sewn boat construction together with that of mortise-and-tenon in a way which cannot be paralleled elsewhere at present." Legend "The Monks' Boat" appellation comes from a 20th century local tradition that associates the boat with the monks of the ruined Fore Abbey. Although the boat pre-dates the abbey by several centuries, it is thought that the boat may have been sunk while moving religious artifacts used during mass in the Fore Abbey and on the convent on Nuns Island. Another legend holds that locals, believing the boat cursed with bad fortune, did not wish the boat recovered. Because of theories about a possible Romano-British origin for the Lough Lene Boat, some have even speculated a connection between the vessel and St. Patrick. According to the Annals of Ulster (a late medieval document in which dates, especially of earlier events, are suspect) the era of St. Patrick's life coincides with scientific estimation of when the boat was constructed. The Lough Lene Bell In 1882, the Royal Irish Academy was presented with the Bell of Lough Lene by the Barbavila estate proprietor, Mr. William Barlow Smythe. The bell had been discovered the previous year in Lough Lene by a boy fishing for eels on Castle Island, which was owned by Smythe at the time. Given the close proximity to the Fore Abbey, the estate owner Smythe concluded that the bell possibly belonged to the St Feichin Abbey; During the Viking and Anglo-Norman oppressions, it may have been transferred to Nun's Island, before being eventually being hidden upon Castle Island. The Bell has a faint outline of the Christian Celtic cross upon opposing sides of the bell and an ornamental periphiral border. Smythe pronounced that ornamentation was generally reserved