Monday 17 August 2020

Pallas Castle, Galway

Pallas Castle

 

Pallas Castle 

One of the most beautiful Tower Houses in Ireland is nestled away at Pallas in the east Galway area.
 

Pallas Castle

 
An OPW managed site, there is free entry and when I visited in 2020 it was wonderfully quiet with the sun shining and the colour of the blue skies and green grass contrasting brightly. 
Pallas Castle is often described as the best preserved Tower House in Ireland and in reality it probably is.
 

Pallas Castle

The Tower House at Pallas in Tynagh was first constructed in the 1500's by the Burke's who would have originally been known by their Norman surname, De Burgh or De Burgo. 

It later passed into the hands of the Nugent family.

Pallas Castle

A lot of Tower Houses in Ireland eventually fell into quite ruinious conditions however this particular example has been thoughtfully cared for over the intervening centuries and is particularly attractive and well maintained.

Pallas Castle

The surrounding Bawn wall is particularly striking with its turreted corners and intact Wall walks and parapets.

Pallas Castle

Entrance to the Bawn is through a two storey Gatehouse on which is mounted an armorial plaque dated 1719 with an inscription in Latin.

Pallas Castle

I don't now whether or not this would have been a family crest but I imagine it was.

There is also the ruins of what looks like a Jacobean era house beside the Tower.

Pallas Castle

I didn't see any signage for the Castle but perhaps I just missed it. 

The approach into the site at Pallas Castle is along a very narrow road but well worth the effort in locating it.

Pallas Castle

The Tower House itself wasn't open when I visited but the grounds and bawn were a pleasant surprise and fantastic to wander around.

Pallas Castle 

The reward for travelling to Pallas is the beautiful views unfolding as you approach what is probably quite rightly often called Irelands best preserved Tower House.

Pallas Castle

Co-ordinates Here:

53°07'35.8"N 8°21'42.7"W 

53.126620 - 8.361846

 

A few more Photographs of Pallas Castle.

Pallas Castle

Pallas Castle

Pallas Castle

Pallas Castle



 






 

 


Wednesday 5 August 2020

Kilkieran High Cross, Kilkenny

Kilkieran High Cross


Kilkieran is a beautiful place to visit at any time and the fact that there are actually three
High Crosses here along with numerous other objects of interest is really just an added bonus.

Kilkieran High Cross

The area is also called Castletown townland and it's quite picturesque and surrounded by pleasant green countryside and small rolling hills in Kilkenny.

Kilkieran Unique High Cross

The name is derived from combining the Irish word for Church, Cill, with Kieran to arrive at Kilkieran, although which Kieran seems to be anyones guess as I can find no definitive answer to this.

Kilkieran decorated High Cross

Was it named after Ciarán of Clonmacnoise,
Ciarán of Saighir, or a completely different Ciarán altogether (Kieran), who knows?

Kilkieran High Cross

There is no church standing there now however the ruins of a stone church were converted into a mausoleum which fell into disrepair
but has now been tidied up and consists of a small rectangular slab surrounded by what remains of the walls.

Kilkieran Bullaun Stone

The site is very well maintained and while there I had a nice chat with a local man who was pulling Ivy off the walls of the enclosure.

Kilkieran High Cross

There is a very unusual High Cross here which is one of the few in Ireland that doesn't have a "Celtic Cross" type ring that are generally associated with most of these Crosses.
It is a tall slim Cross with notches carved into the shaft and it's quite beautiful in its setting.

Kilkieran High Cross

Of the other two High Crosses, one is an undecorated Cross while another has a depiction of eight horsemen on its base and is richly decorated with carvings.


There is also the decorated shaft of a fourth High Cross here but its carvings are badly weathered and hard to make out.
The Kilkieran High Crosses are believed to date from the 8th or 9th Century.

Kilkieran High Cross

These High Crosses belong to the "Ossory Group" of Crosses, Ossory being once an ancient Irish Kingdom.
Two of the High Crosses have caps which are interpreted by some to represent Mitres, a type of hat worn by Bishops.

Kilkieran High Cross

A peculiar and interesting little Standing Stone is located near the undecorated Cross and there are a variety of Millstones and Bullaun Stones at Kilkieran which were unearthed in the general area and placed here.

Kilkieran High Cross

Saint Kierans Well is also located here and there is a large Bullaun or Font beside it. Its waters are reputedly a curative for headaches or pains of the head.

Kilkieran High Cross

In a corner near the entrance is a modern post stone marked "Strangers Corner" which I found to be a touching marker for those who rest here unknown but not unremembered.
It struck me as a poignant reminder of just how fortunate we often are and sometimes take this for granted.

Kilkieran High Cross

There is probably more local history associated with Strangers Corner but I haven't any more information on this.

Kilkieran High Cross

I reached Kilkieran when the weather was overcast and misty so my photographs don't properly represent the beauty of the area.

Kilkieran High Cross

The collection of varied Bullaun Stones held my attention and curiosity for a while and overall I really enjoyed my trip to this tranquil and secluded site which was wonderful to vist.

Kilkieran High Cross

A collection of Bullaun Stones at Kilkieran.

Kilkieran High Cross

Signage board at Kilkieran.

Kilkieran High Cross

The undecorated High Cross at Kilkieran.

Kilkieran High Cross

Kilkieran High Cross

Pictured below is the small Standing Stone at Kilkieran.

Kilkieran High Cross

A marker to remember those who are interred at Kilkieran but were unknown, possibly travellers on the road or paupers.

Kilkieran High Cross

Coordinates Here :

52°23'53.8"N 7°22'44.9"W

52.398288 - 7.379141


Sites nearby to visit

Killamery High Cross Here :

Ahenny High Cross Here :

Kilree Round Tower and High Cross Here :

Kells Priory Here :


Possible Road Trip in Ossory, pictured below :

Kilkieran Road Trip









Monday 3 August 2020

Ahenny High Cross, Kilkenny

Ahenny High Crosses


Ahenny High Cross.

In the small rural village of Ahenny in Tipperary are not one, but two beautiful High Crosses.
Ahenny lies in Tipperary but is also quite close to the Kilkenny Border.

Ahenny High Cross.

The Ahenny High Crosses are of a type belonging to a class of High Cross called the
"Ossory group."
These are found chiefly throughout Kilkenny and Tipperary in parts of what was once the "Kingdom of Ossory."

Ahenny High Cross.

The site at Ahenny is called Kilclispeen and there is a plaque inserted into the entrance which reads
" Kilclispeen Churchyard 1843."

Ahenny High Cross.

It's believed the Ahenny High Crosses date from around the 8th Century and that originally a Monastery was located here.

Ahenny High Cross.

There is occasional mention of a Saint Crispen asociated with Ahenny but there are no records of such a figure to be found nor any trace of an early Monastery.

Ahenny High Cross.

There is also the base socket of a third High Cross here at Ahenny so it was obviously a very important early ecclesiastical site.

Ahenny High Cross.

The wonder of places like Ahenny is that today such locations seem remote and sparsely inhabited yet in their heyday they must have had large numbers of Monks living on site with large numbers of people living nearby and in close proximity.

Ahenny High Cross.

Early monasteries were small centres of industry engaged in farming both livestock and tillage, brewing, writing, milling, and possibly carving and metalworking.

Ahenny High Cross

I'm not an archaeologist but there are mention of several monasteries where the Monks numbered in their thousands. To maintain such large settlements would have required considerable self sustaining resources and local trade.

Ahenny High Cross.

The Ahenny High Crosses are very richly decorated and the carvings have survived over 1200 years of Irish weathering.

Ahenny High Cross.

Covered in spirals, knotwork and pictorial representations they are a beautiful monument to the skill of the craftworkers who carved them all those years ago.

Ahenny High Cross.

Some of the Caps on Crosses of the "Ossory group" are thought to represent a Mitre, a type of hat worn by Bishops.

Ahenny High Cross.

With Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipperary so close by as well it makes for a wonderful place to visit and is a very scenic area, well worth visiting at any time of year.

Ahenny High Cross.

Coordinates Here:

52°24'50.7"N 7°23'36.2"W

52.414074 -7.393397


My photo's were taken on a particularly overcast day and don't do the area justice.
 
Kells Priory Here :

Kilree Round Tower and High Cross Here :

Killamery High Cross
and Saint Nicholas' Well Here : 


Suggested Road Trip picture below:

Route