Seventh Heaven

“Some day my prince will come”…but if he doesn’t, it’s always good to have a Plan B. Like, castles. Lots of them. Preferably near by.

Lucky for me, there are seven of them just a stone’s throw away and – for one last time this year – the landowners will be throwing open the gates tomorrow and allowing us to gawk and gape at their splendour.

Many of those who have passed through Wellingtonbridge in south Wexford will know what I’m talking about – the magnificent seven castles of Clonmines; allegedly, the best-preserved Medieval town in Ireland. While it may be difficult to picture it now (they are, afterall, a collection of well-placed stones in a field), these intriguing and majestic remains were once a thriving urban centre with strong transport links thanks to its two – possibly three – quays. While pinning down population is difficult, it is believed that it was of a similar size to Wexford town during the Middle Ages.

Because this important heritage site is located slap, bang in the middle of a working farm, it is normally closed to the public. However, the Codd family decided to host a number of open days this summer and, with a large crowd attending each of the first four, it really is last chance saloon for the historically curious as the final open day of 2017 takes place tomorrow (Saturday, August 26) from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

If you’ve never been – go!

While the ruins are merely a fragment of this almost-forgotten town, visitors will not be disappointed thanks to features such as the Jacobean house gable, the bawn wall and tower, and the tower house (now the family home). However, the most intriguing and intact buildings have got to be the Black Castle, the abbey and the two churches.

The Black Castle, or Fitzhenry’s Castle as it’s also known, is the rectangular-shaped building closest to the old church and graveyard across the river at Ballylannon (a popular spot to pull in for a quick peek across at Clonmines). It originally had four floors, with the first and second floors having windows with seats and fireplaces. Other features include a garderobe and (look up as you go through the door) a machicolation.

Located closest to the water, the Augustinian abbey is simply spectacular and packed with architectural gems. It dates from 1317 (although further work was carried out in the 1380s) and is believed to have been built outside the town boundary but resting against its walls.

The Church of St Nicholas dates from the 1200s and, interestingly, is on a different alignment to the abbey. It operated as the parish church and has a number of interesting features, as well as grave plots within and around it.

The fortified Cowboy Church is the stuff of legend! Was it the work of a lowly cow hand who made his fortune or (depending on your source) was it a bank, seminary or collegiate church? Dating from the 1400s, it was certainly used as a chapel (perhaps when the parish church fell into disrepair) and has a beautiful rib vault ceiling which is a sight to behold.

Part of the lure of this wonderful site is its mix of religious, commercial and defensive features. While much is known about these, there is still great mystery attached to Clonmines and many questions yet to be answered.

Below ground, the town has held onto lots of its secrets but archaeologists Paul Murphy and Arnaud de Volder have spent many years conducting surveys of the site (including geophysical and magnetic) and are gradually teasing out answers about the layout of the town, its focal points, possible earlier structures and clues about activities that may have taken place.

While Clonmines is thought of as a deserted Medieval town, during his talk at a previous open day, Arnaud made the point that it is not deserted: the townsfolk, the sailors and the clergy may have gone but a family (the Suttons until 1849 and the Codds since then) has remained and continue to live in the footprint of the town.

With National Heritage Week drawing to a close this weekend, the guest speaker tomorrow (Saturday, August 26) will be Ian Doyle, Head of Conservation at the Heritage Council. There is a small entry fee and gates will be open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a walking tour at 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.clonmines.ie

The tower and wall marking the town boundary.

The Augustinian abbey.

The lonesome gable end of a fortified house.

(From left) The Jacobean house gable end, the Black Castle and the tower and bawn wall.

The Black Castle.

The machicolation above the door of the Black Castle.

The Cowboy Church and parish church.

The Church of St Nicholas.

The Cowboy Church.

The beautiful ceiling inside the Cowboy Church and (below) further details from inside the building.

 

A thrilling tale fit for the silver screen

A stone’s throw from my pirate ship is another local landmark that has fascinated me since childhood.

As you leave Saltmills village (heading towards Wellingtonbridge) and turn down the road for St. Kearn’s, there is a headstone erected on the roadside in memory of some IRA men who died there in 1920.

I can remember asking my grandmother what had happened to them and she told me they had died in an explosion while building bombs (although it seems crass to say it now, my young mind processed that as “they blew themselves up”).

I was immediately captivated. Bombs, explosions…those sorts of things happen in Bruce Willis movies, not in sleepy Irish villages where the big events of the year usually revolve around religious happenings, harvests or the lambing season.

I always wanted to know more but time moved on, I grew up, got distracted and sort of forgot about it.

The monument erected in memory of the men that died at St Kearns in 1920.

Quite by chance, a few months ago I was looking around the internet for something entirely different when I struck gold – an account of the explosion BY SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE! I was quite stunned – I didn’t know such things existed – but quickly started reading.

Michael Conway from Curraghmore joined the Ballycullane Company of the Irish Volunteers in 1917 and was one of 14 men in St. Kearns on that fateful night. On October 12 1920, the men had gathered in an old, unoccupied house to make bombs to attack Foulksmills and New Ross RIC barracks. They had a range of explosives, including tonite and gelignite, a quantity of detonators and some bombs that had been prepared already.

“My job was cutting the wire off the detonators. I was using a pliers. I had finished my work and we were about to knock off for the night. Another Volunteer was also engaged cutting the wires off the detonators. He was using a penknife. He cut the wire too short off one of the detonators. It struck fire in his hand and he dropped it on to the floor. I was standing up at this time.

“I heard a report like a revolver shot. Then I saw a blue flame sweeping across the house. The next thing I heard was Captain John Timmins shouting, ‘Run men, we will all be killed.’ Almost immediately a terrific explosion occurred . I thought I was split from the top of my head down. The roof was blown up and landed some fields away.

“I was blown up too and I thought I was up to the stars and when I came down again I fell on a tree which was growing at one end of the house. The bough broke with me and it broke my fall into the house again, and stones from the wall fell on me. I was at this time almost unconscious. When I came to a little I heard great moaning. I was smothering from gas and was gasping for breath. I was naked as my clothes had been burned off me and I was red with blood. All that was left on me were my two boots and they were badly tattered.

“With the help of other men I dragged myself out from under the stones and I was laid on the green sod. John Timmins, our company captain, spoke to me and asked what way I was. He said ‘when you were not killed you were alright. We will go some place to see if we can get a priest; I am bleeding to death’.”

As can be seen by the monument, Capt. Timmins survived the blast, though five others were not so fortunate, and Michael Conway’s account describes the local effort to help the injured, dying and dead as well as what happened once the authorities got their hands on the survivors. Joseph McCarthy, 1st Lieutenant of the New Ross Company and Vice-Commandant of the New Ross Battalion, also gives an account of the explosion and its aftermath.

These are just two of 1,773 witness statements in the Bureau of Military History Collection which was compiled by the State between 1947 and 1957 in order to create a treasure chest of primary source material relating to Ireland’s tempestuous, revolutionary years of 1913 to 1921.

I take my hat off to the people who had the foresight to create this collection. It is an unbelievably gripping resource to which you will lose hours of your life! Aside from the stories of Wexford Volunteers (which were real eye-openers as there was an awful lot more going on in these parts than you’d imagine), there are statements from those connected with some of the biggest events of the time, including signatory of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, Robert Barton; the widow of Eamonn Ceannt, sister of Edward Daly and brother of Michael Mallin (all executed in 1916); members of ‘The Squad’, Charles Dalton and Patrick Lawson; and Eithne Lawless, one-time secretary to Michael Collins.

I wish I’d had a resource like this available to me back when I was studying for my history degree. Actually, maybe not – I would have been so distracted by and engrossed in these records that I probably wouldn’t have gotten much actual course work done!

 

Marauding pirates left a lasting impression

The weather-beaten remains of my ‘pirate ship’ in Saltmills.

A child’s mind is a wonderful thing – a magical place where anything is possible and even the most unlikely can be everyday.

In their innocence, they come out with the most amazing questions and statements as they try to figure this strange old world out.

A few years ago, my cousin asked me whether you could see the word Spain written across the country if you looked at it from space, just like on the maps.

A couple of months ago, as I was bringing my niece up to stay with me one Friday evening, we passed the village of Ballymitty. The bell tower of the church was illuminated in the dark and, quite matter of factly, a little voice from the back seat announced that ‘that’s where Tangled lives’ (Tangled being Rapunzel from the Disney movie of the same name who lived in a tower). I couldn’t help but smile.

Not that I’m much better.

For most of my childhood, I believed that an old abandoned boat lying on its side by the bridge in Saltmills was actually a pirate ship! One that had found itself in difficulty during a storm and crashed onto the shore, shipwrecked.

What became of its motley crew of buccaneers, I never spent much time thinking about. I figured any that had survived had found their way to safety and either settled in the village or headed back out to sea on some of the boats in the nearby ports of Duncannon and Ballyhack.

Why did I think it was a pirate ship in the first place? No idea! I can only imagine it had something to do with the hull of the boat being painted black. Who but a pirate would have a black boat? (You can’t really tell from my pictures but you can make it out here)

The boat is still there; its skeleton nestled in the sand by the bridge, looking out towards Bannow Bay. Time has taken its toll and the deterioration seems to have rapidly accelerated in recent years (a friend of mine took this photo around 2007/2008 and, as you can see, the vessel was still relatively intact at that stage).

As daft as it sounds, I’ll be sad when that boat finally succumbs to the elements; like a little piece of my childhood innocence has collapsed with it.

At least I’ll always have the memory of those swashbuckling scallywags, fighting a losing battle with their doomed ship in foul weather. Arrrrr!

 

Some day my peony will come!

The spring garden sitting snugly against the walls of Lismore Castle.

It’s been a dismal ‘ole start to the new year here in the south east of Ireland.

Dark and dreary, all day long the wind has been howling down the chimney and the rain drops slapping against the window. Outside, the garden is looking a little worse for wear, wind-beaten and unkempt. Through the sodden window panes it’s a blurry mess of green and brown.

It’s hard to imagine that in summer it looks quite nice…well, bits of it do.

It’s all a work in progress you see. I have plans. Big plans. So much so, it will probably require a 20-year-plan to transform it from glorified field to lush, floral paradise.

But in the meantime, I can dream. And if you’re going to dream, you may as well dream big!

Like the gorgeous gardens at Lismore Castle. We visited there in the height of summer, when the spring garden was past its best but the upper garden was in full bloom. With its perfectly manicured lawns, eruptions of bright flowers and tall hedges teasing you to see what was behind them, it’s a rich source of inspiration for any would-be garden planner.

Sweet dreams indeed!

 

Into the west 5: The Burren and Poulnabrone

The Poulnabrone dolmen near Caherconnell Fort in the Burren.

Ireland has this wonderful reputation in the outside world.

The Land of Saints and Scholars. The Emerald Isle.

Both of these terms evoke fantastic notions of a cultured, romantic place full of rolling green hills and lush pastures and this is how the country is usually ‘sold’ to tourists from nations across the globe.

Undoubtedly, in certain parts of the country the scenery is enough to stop you in your tracks but, after my first proper visit to the Burren, I can’t help but wonder if that is a truer representation of Ireland.

The more I learn about Irish history and, particularly, the lives of ordinary, everyday farmers and workers, the more it hits home that life was often a struggle. Against disease. Against famine. Against weather and crop failures. Against English rule. Against the RIC, the army and the Black and Tans. And, as last week’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?‘ programme with Julie Walters highlighted exceptionally well, against landlords.

Having visited the cottages at Bunratty and sifted through the census returns from 1901 and 1911, it’s clear that the majority of people lived in small, dark homes with little in the way of comfort and luxury for hundreds of years.

I’m not saying they weren’t happy people – clearly they had the love of family, the warm bonds of friendship and the means to entertain themselves through music, song and dance – but one thing they definitely were was tough.

And that’s what the Burren is. Tough. Rugged. Stark.

The people who farmed these lands did so using a carpet of green grass that was punctured throughout with stone.

They had to be smart, they had to be adaptable and they had to work hard. They took pride in their land and made the best of their situation.

I may be biased but I can’t imagine anything more Irish than that.

 

Into the west 4: Cliffs of Moher

The view to the north from the main platform at the Cliffs of Moher.

Of all the attractions we visited, none can match the Cliffs of Moher when it comes to sheer tourist pulling power.

Thousands of bodies were swarming about the cliff edges when we arrived, moving along in the distance like little two-legged ants. While many languages and accents were to be heard, the over-whelming majority seemed to be from the United States.

I don’t know if the cliffs are being particularly marketed as a must-see in America or whether they’ve made it onto US tourists’ ‘to do’ list of their own merit but there’s no doubt that they are attracting huge volumes from the States.

And you can see why – there’s absolutely no doubt that the views are spectacular or the landscape magnificent. At their highest, the cliffs reach 214m or 702 feet, stretch for eight kilometres around the Co. Clare coastline and give stunning views of the Aran Islands and Galway Bay.

I only hope that people aren’t missing out on some of the other great attractions nearby which, it must be said, weren’t over-run with tourists and had far fewer Americans among their ranks of visitors.

With a coach park full to the brim with buses and a steady flow of cars into and out of the car park, there seems little danger of the Cliffs of Moher getting knocked off its perch as Ireland’s most visited natural attraction.

O’Brien’s Tower, which was built in 1835 as a viewing point for tourists.

 

Into the west 3: Craggaunowen

A man’s home is his fortress – inside the ringfort at Craggaunowen.

I have a confession to make: I LOVE the television programme Time Team.

I’ve lost a ridiculous number of Saturday mornings to the back-to-back re-runs on More4 over the past few years, engrossed as the team of archaeologists try to figure out whether they’ve uncovered a great Roman villa or an old farmhouse. I was gutted when it ended last year.

Over two decades, the crew excavated everything from an iron age hillfort and Roman camp to a royal hunting lodge and medieval chapel. Even important historic, political and religious sites like Buckingham Palace and Westminister Abbey have not escaped the attention of the team and their three-day challenges.

While some will love the more modern excavations (such as the excavation of the anti-aircraft battery built by the Nazis on Jersey, the lost WW1 bunker ‘Vampyr’ in Belgium or the anti-Nazi defensive measures erected in Shooters Hill in south London), I’ve always loved the older discoveries.

Truth be told, I can’t resist a Roman mosaic floor or robbed-out castle wall. The mere hint of an old water mill and I’m hooked.

While the mention of words like ‘Anglo Saxon’ or ‘Iron Age’ was enough to make some Time Team members giddy, I sometimes found myself staring at pure dirt as they pointed out subtle (invisible, to me) changes in colour that hinted at ancient house boundaries or post holes.

No matter. Any attempt to make the past come to life is alright in my book, which is why tourist attractions such as Craggaunowen in Co. Clare are a real winner as far as I’m concerned.

A living and breathing museum, it gives visitors a chance to explore the past by standing beside it, smelling it, getting inside and seeing how dark it was in there.

The facility was the brainchild of John Hunt, whose collection of some 2,000 works of art and antiquity is housed at the Hunt Museum in Limerick City. He bought the land near the village of Quin, restored the castle, then began to reconstruct features of everyday life from prehistoric and Early Christian times. He later donated the whole complex to the people of Ireland (it’s now run by Shannon Heritage).

Among the features at Craggaunowen is the fortified tower house which was built around 1550 and would have been home to members of the gentry. Uninhabitable since the 17th century, restoration work began in the early 19th century and was eventually completed by John Hunt in 1965.

The crannog is one of those things that will capture the attention of any child thanks to the novelty of it being surrounded by water. Popular during the Iron Age and Early Christian period, they are built on man-made islands and accessible by either canoe or causeway.

Dolmens have fascinated me since I first learnt about them in school. These megalithic tombs, which are also known as passage tombs, feature a number of upright stones with a huge capstone sitting on top. The remains – either cremated or cleaned bones – would be placed inside the chamber along with any grave goods and the whole structure was often covered in soil. A real-life example can be found in Poulnabrone, which is also in Co. Clare, but more about that later!

The ringfort was a typical farmstead found throughout Ireland from the 5th to 12th centuries. Inside its earthen banks and defensive fence, families went about their everyday business. The Craggaunowen fort also boasts a souterrain – an underground tunnel which was used to store food but which could also be used to hide during attacks or, in this case, escape.

One of the final stops along the trail is the ‘Brendan Boat’. This is the actual leather-hulled vessel built by adventurer Tim Severin in 1976 to re-enact the crossing of St. Brendan the Navigator, who, according to legend, sailed from Ireland to Newfoundland in the 6th century and discovered North America centuries before Columbus set foot on a ship.

One final happy discovery before heading back to the car were the mammy and baby wild boar (a species from the pre-historic era) soaking up the summer sun.

Craggaunowen is a peaceful, picturesque and pleasant place in which to dip your toe into Ireland’s past. With Knappogue Castle just up the road, it’s definitely worth packing a picnic, filling up the car and heading towards Quin for a taste of times long gone by.

Sunbathing at the entrance to Craggaunowen.

Craggaunowen castle.

Side wall of the castle, overlooking the lake.

A good spot to meet the local lord.

Cooking up a storm.

One of the upstairs rooms in the tower house.

Tempted to bed down for the night?

Pretty basic but a four-poster bed all the same.

The view from the top of the castle.

The view out over the lake.

A sentry on duty outside the castle!

The entrance to the crannog.

One of the houses inside the crannog.

Keeping watch over the causeway.

Home sweet home!

Dancing on the breeze in the dappled shade.

The fullacht fiadh which was used for cooking food outdoors.

The dolmen.

An ogham stone (the ogham can be seen at the bottom right-hand corner).

The interior of the ringfort.

The ringfort house that has the entrance to the souterrain inside.

An outdoor lathe for working wood.

Inside one of the ringfort buildings.

The only rectangular building in the ringfort – if memory serves, it could be a workshop.

The ‘Brendan Boat’.

The boat inside it’s glass house.

The boat was made from oak-tanned hides sewn together and stretched over a flexible ash frame.

Wild boars resting in the sunshine.

Evidence of destruction – possibly from the storms in January and February this year.

 

Into the west 2: King John’s Castle

King John’s Castle in the heart of Limerick City

Limerick is a city dripping in history and no place more so than King John’s Castle.

Nestled in the heart of the city, it has kept an eye on – and often played a major role in – the lives of Limerick’s inhabitants for over 800 years.

The first time I saw it, I thought it was a magnificent sight! As our schoolbus rattled its way through the busy streets and towards Thomond Bridge, suddenly the view changed dramatically to reveal a huge silent watchman casting a wary eye over the banks of the Shannon; the towers of the imposing gatehouse whispering a clear warning: you shall not pass!

Straight away I wondered what lay behind those huge stone walls and now, many, many moons later, I’ve finally found out.

Another attraction run by Shannon Heritage, the castle’s attractions are a mix of technology and archaeology. Initially, visitors pass through an interactive exhibition that plots the city’s path from early Gaelic Ireland to more modern times. The exhibition is a mixture of artefacts (hidden in ‘discovery drawers’), 3D models, movies and CGI animations and draws you into eras when conflict, warfare and siege were the order of the day.

Once you’ve cleared the exhibition, the castle itself takes up the tale. Down around the foundations are signs of life from bygone times, where archaeologists have uncovered evidence of old Viking houses as well as one of the tunnels dug under the walls during a siege. Out in the courtyard, more archaeology – this time the remains of The Great Hall are on display – while a chapel, siege shelter and campaign tent have been erected to give the visitor a sense of what life was like during troubled times.

The towers are also open for exploration and reveal a bit more about castle life, including the mint and the stone mason’s workshop. As expected, the views of the city from the top of that fantastic gatehouse (which was built in 1212) are spectacular. Unfortunately, the heavens decided to open just as we were climbing the winding steps but we had to brave the weather and have a peak!

The tentacles of Irish history are firmly wrapped around King John’s Castle. Inside its walls, the influence of the Normans, the Reformation, the Irish Catholic Confederation, Cromwell and the fallout of the Battle of the Boyne were all felt. The survivor of three bloody and devastating sieges in 1642, 1651 and 1960/1691, the castle continues to take a stand as the jewel in Limerick’s crown.

The twin-towered gatehouse from inside the courtyard.

The siege shelter.

The siege shelter

The chapel in the courtyard.

The castle mint.

The blacksmith’s workshop in the courtyard.

View of the Thomond Bridge.

One of the gatehouse towers.

The courtyard with the great hall excavation (back, right), siege shelter (back, left), chapel (front, right) and a campaign tent (front, left).

 

Into the west 1: Knappogue Castle

The noble and picturesque Knappogue Castle.

It’s not difficult to come over all ‘Game of Thrones’ while visiting Knappogue Castle in Co. Clare.

As you explore the thick-walled central tower, which was built in the 1400s, it’s easy to imagine Robb Stark planning his next battle at one of the large tables, a Lannister scheming away in a dark corner, Robert Baratheon living it up in the Great Hall or even Daenerys Targaryen training her dragons in the courtyard.

Located near the village of Quin and operated by Shannon Heritage, the history of Knappogue follows a similar path to nearby Bunratty in its rise, fall and restoration. Like Bunratty, it too was built by the powerful MacNamara clan, in 1467, and was later confiscated by Cromwell. Having passed through the hands of a number of owners, it began to fall into decay in the 1920s. It was a ruin by the time it was bought by a Mr. and Mrs. Andrews from Texas in 1966. Working alongside Shannon Development, the couple worked to restore the castle and opened its doors to the public in 1969.

The castle itself includes its original 15th century tower surrounded by a later two-storey extension, which was added in the 19th century. Inside, there is a clear distinction between the two as the rooms in the tower are darker and boast those extraordinarily thick stone walls while the newer section is much brighter, more delicately decorated and incredibly grand. A bit modern for ‘Game of Thrones’ perhaps but certainly the type of room which Queen Regent Cersei, Lady Sansa or the other high-born ladies might frequent.

Aside from the castle, Knappogue also has a Victorian-style walled garden and hosts nightly medieval banquets from April to October.

Conveniently located just a stones’ throw from the fantastic Craggaunowen, there are certainly far worse ways to spend the day than a visit to these two fascinating attractions.

The front door of the castle. 

Gateway into the courtyard.

 

The ‘top table’ in the Dalcassian Room.

The Banquet Hall looking into the Dalcassian Room.

The crests of local clans with which the family were associated hanging in the Banquet Hall.

Beautifully detailed chairs at the top table.

The 19th Century Drawing Room with its Waterford Crystal chandelier.

Some of the detail on the ceiling in the drawing room.

The 19th Century Drawing Room.

The 19th Century Dining Room.

Ready for guests in the dining room.

The dining room ceiling.

Traditional lighting in one of the narrow windows in the winding stairwell.

The Clancullen Room – perfect for Game of Thrones-style plotting, is it not?

Light floods into the Clancullen Room on a sunny day.

A table with a view in the Clancullen Room.

The fireplace in the Clancullen Room.

A closer look at the fireplace.

Stained glass window near the top of the stairs in the Clancullen Room.

The Great Hall.

Lots and lots of candles waiting to illuminate the Great Hall.

Grand furniture for a grand room.

A home for young and old.

Let there be more light in the Great Hall.

 

 

Colour rush

All the colours of the rainbow at the Tayto Garden – Potato to Packet.

Having just returned from another fabulous Bloom festival in Dublin, my mind is full of bright ideas and inspiration for transforming my flowerbeds. As summer sits on the sidelines, stretching and warming up, the garden is boasting all shades of green, with the odd flush of wine, silver and yellow thrown in for good measure.

But Bloom was a veritable explosion of colour – fifty shades of awesome growing up through every root, turning each showgarden into a virtual rainbow that couldn’t but put a smile on every face.

Lupins and Digitalis (or Foxgloves, as we always called them growing up) ruled the roost as the ‘it’ flowers this year, appearing in the majority of gardens, while purple and white were recurring themes on the colour palette. There were also quite a few gardens putting an emphasis on growing your own foods and using plants from the garden in your cooking, a movement that has been steadily growing around Ireland as the recession continues.

While I’m far from a knowledgeable or expert gardener (calling me an amateur is perhaps affording me too much credit), I’d have to say that my favourite garden this year was The Crumlin Children’s Hospital Garden in association with Kildare Growers which looked simply amazing (last two photos below). Honourable mentions must also go to the Tayto Garden – Potato to Packet and to the “Wellbeing Wetlands” from Gardens Now and inspired by Ocean Spray.

Of course, aside from the amazing gardens at Bloom, the festival also has the Bord Bia Food Village which is packed with top-quality, artisan food producers from throughout Ireland. Needless to say, it was impossible to resist a purchase or six.

Mmmmm, pass the bread and crackers!

See you next year Bloom!