Lea Castle, Portarlington

 Lea Castle

Portarlington

Lea Castle in Portarlington was possibly constructed under the direction of William Marshal in the early 13th century.

 

It was probably preceded by an earlier Motte and Baily type fortification, a large mound and encircling earth banking with a wooden structure on top of the mound.

It is one of a few early Anglo Norman stone built Castles still standing in Ireland .

Edward Bruce, a brother of the Scottish King Robert the Bruce and a one time claimant of Kingship of all Ireland burned the Castle in 1315 but it wasn't destroyed totally and passed into other hands as time progressed.

 Edward is buried, minus his head, on the Hill of Faughart in County Louth.

The Castle has been associated with many different families throughout its chequered history passing back and forth continually.

Roughly two thirds of the Castle was blown up c. 1650 and it had been destroyed, partially destroyed and rebuilt several times in the previous centuries.

I've just a few photographs of the Castle posted here but with such substantial remains still "in situ" it's unfortunate the local authority haven't taken more of an interest in restoring it.

I think geographically it lies just across the County border from Offaly but is in County Laois.

I'm no expert on Castles but this particular Castle given its age, history and connections appears to me to be a badly neglected yet hugely important historical artifact of national importance.

Given in lies within the boundaries of Laois it's a piece of neighborhood heritage that would benefit from local government and council intervention to preserve and promote it as a place to visit and open it up to the public.

Keep the wheels turning

Coordinates here :

53°09'23.1"N 7°08'48.9"W

Sources and further reading:

Galway NUI.ie-Lea Castle, The Story so Far

www.duchas.ie Schools Collection.- The White Lady of Lea Castle

The Castle building of William Marshal in Irelandwww.medievalists.net

Lea Castle - .askaboutireland.ie

Lea Castle - leacastle.ie

 

An Offaly Headache Stone

In the Offaly townlands of Clonsast and Clonshannon lie the sparse ruins of what's believed to have been an early medieval Church. Little remains now other than a few small portions of the walls.

 

Nearby is also to be found Saint Broghan's Stone, a large single Bullaun stone reputedly used to cure headaches and Saint Broghan's Holy Well.

Saint Broghan/Brochan, originally from Scotland, is reputed to have founded a Monastery here in the 7th century.

 

The Saint is also known as Bearchán, Brachan and Berchán. 

At one time in early Christian Ireland he is believed to have been of major importance though the Saint today is an obscure figure.

The Holy Well has a Statue of the Saint in a small enclosure and is very well maintained although it lies across deep muddy fields and may be difficult to access depending upon the time of year you visit.

Saint Broghan's Stone is about 800 metres Southsoutheast from the Well. It lies several fields away across boggy wet ground and is difficult to find.

It is believed that the Bullaun stone was formed from the impression of Saint Broghan's head. Water would be taken from the Holy Well and placed into the depression on the stone.

 

A person then placed their head into the water on the stone and divine intervention or a cure for headaches and illness thereof was petitioned for in the hope of intercession.

Unfortunately today the stone has cracked across the basin and would no longer hold water. Presumably it has been many years since it was last used as a Headache stone.

Despite the stones damage it was nonetheless interesting and somewhat refreshing to see the Well, the Church ruins and the Headache stone all still "in situ" near each other.

There is a small Cairn of unknown origin beside the Bullaun and both lie about 100 metres Southeast of the Church remains. There is also a thorn tree (either Haw or Blackthorn) beside the Bullaun called Saint Broghan's Thorn on OSI Historic Mapping.

 At one time up to 1500 people gathered here on the Saint's Patten Day and there was also a week long festival. 

Apparently the week long festival was eventually abandoned due to outbreaks of alcohol induced happiness which the clergy understandably frowned upon.

The nearest village to these sites is Bracknagh with a population of around 200 people. The small 1800's Roman Catholic Church here is called Saint Broghan's Church.

An ancient road, a Togher/Tochar of gravel, brushwood and sticks once ran from the site in a westerly direction across a bog. It was known as Saint Broghan's road.

Sources and further reading:

jstor.org - Saint Broghan's Road

www.duchas.ie Schools Collection - Saint Broghan's Well

www.duchas.ie School's Collection - The Local Patron saint

Saint Broghan's NS - Our History

Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae - Saint Berchán

Saint Bochan's Well Co-ordinates here:

53°13'47.8"N 7°08'09.4"W

 

Dysert O'Dea Romanesque Church and Saint Tola's High Cross, Clare

Dysert O'Dea Romanesque Church and Saint Tola's High Cross

It's difficult to think of a more enchanting place to visit than Dysert O'Dea in County Clare.

There's a wealth of historic attractions and some wonderful walking to be enjoyed in this area which is both tranquil and bucolic.

The ancient ecclesiastical site is an absolute must see for anyone with an interest in Romanesque or Hiberno-Romanesque architecture.

Among some of the antiquities of interest in this small area are Saint Tola's High Cross, Dysert O'Dea Church ruins with Romanesque archway and window and the partial ruins of a Round Tower.

Saint Tola was reputedly born in the 7th century possibly near Dysert Gallen in County Laois 

and died in the 8th century c. 733 or 737.

 

 Later in life he is associated with Delvin in County Westmeath, Clonard in County Meath and finally

with Dysert Tola, today called Dysert O'Dea in County Clare.

The Church has a varied and mixed history and is a multi period ruin having been altered, restored and refurbished over the many intervening centuries since its initial construction.

There was probably a wooden Church here in the 7th century or perhaps even earlier. Sometime in the 12th century a stone Romanesque Church was built.

 

In the 13th century the Church was altered and over the subsequent centuries it began to fall into ruin and decay. It's believed to have been repaired in the late 1600's.

 

This included inserting the Romanesque doorway and reinstalling several windows. No doubt further repairs and alterations have followed during the intervening period.

The Romanesque doorway is nothing other than utterly stunning. 

There are 19 carved heads on it which include human faces of European, central Asian and Far Eastern origin. There are also  both animal heads and mythological beasts.

Both the Romanesque Window and doorway are covered in various Chevrons and interlace of Scandinavian influence in the Urnes style. There are four orders of columns flanking either side of the doorway.

There are also a lot of hidden details on and in the Church including a further carving of a human face positioned upside down.

 

The Romanesque window is also a reconstituted artifact and probably a composite of different origins but this does not detract from its beauty nor interest in the least.

Saint Tola's High Cross is located nearby and within view of the Church. It is probably one of the more interesting High Crosses in Ireland given its design.

 

It is covered in interlace and interlocking knotwork with both mythical and human figures depicted while the crucifixion is carved onto one face in bold high relief above an ecclesiastic figure holding a Crozier.

There are also carvings on the large base and the Cross as already mentioned is quite beautiful in design and wonderful to see up close and in person.

 The partial Round Tower remains I can find no reliable date for although both the 11th and 12th century have been mentioned by some sources. 

To the best of my knowledge all Irish Round towers were constructed sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries.

Not far from the site is Dysert O'Dea Castle, an Irish Tower House. There is a Fulacht Fiadh here and some megalithic remains of indeterminate purpose which may be of interest to the more curious or inquisitive visitor.

Saint Tola's Well is also nearby but somehow I missed it on my visit.

I've included details below of a nearby Sheela na Gig.

 

Keep the wheels turning.

Dysert O'Dea : Co-ordinates here -

52°54'31.4"N 9°04'06.8"W

 

Sources and further reading:

Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae - Saint Tola of Disert Tola 

Clare Library - Saint Tola's Cross

 Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland

County Clare Heritage Office - Saint Tola's Well

Discover Ireland Clare archaeology centre

Clare County Library - Dysert O'Dea Church

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Dysert O'Dea Tower House and Fulacht Fiadh

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About 2 Kilometres nortwest of Dysert O'Dea is an old historical ruined Church at Rath, County Clare. Here you can find a badly worn Sheela na Gig next to a 12th century window carving.

 

It is positioned upside down if you can spot it.

There may have been a Church here going as far back as the 9th century and a Round Tower that once stood on this site was demolished sometime in the 1800's.

Coordinates here:

52°55'02.8"N 9°05'07.7"W

52.917431, -9.085464