Caves of Kesh

Caves of Kesh
Caves of Kesh, Keshcorran, Sligo, Ireland

Kesh Caves
In Irish mythology the caves of Kesh were believed to be an entrance to the the Otherworld. One story tells how, when on a hunt, Fionn mac Cumhaill, head of the Fianna, was put under enchantment by three witches along with a troop of his men. The witches were the daughters of Conaran of the supernatural race Tuatha de Danaan who ruled in the underworld of Keshcorran. As the witches prepared to kill their captives the last of the hunting party Goll mac Morna encounters them and in a hard fought engagement slices in half two witches then beheads them and gets the better of the third putting her into bondage. In exchange for her life she agrees to dissolve the enchantment on Fionn and his Fianna. Diarmuid and Gráinne are also said to have sought refuge in the caves as the lovers evade Fionn mac Cumhaill who Gráinne had been betrothed to. Another story tells how the high king of Ireland Cormac mac Airt was born at the foot of Keshcorran and reared by a she-wolf with her cubs in the caves.

Keshcorran

Caves of Kesh

Caves of Kesh

Caves of Kesh

Traditional Jack O’ Lantern 2017

Traditional Jack O’ Lantern

Last year I made a couple of Jack O’ Lanterns and kept them… they shriveled up and shrunk, that’s them beside the new one I made for Hallowe’en 2017. You can see how one of the shriveled ones looked originally here https://www.tonyoneill.org/2016/10/27/irish-jack-o-lantern/

Traditional Jack O’ Lantern

Traditional Jack O’ Lantern

Killaghtee Cross

Killaghtee Cross
Slab with a carved Maltese cross inside a circle. The cross is thought to date from 650AD and mark the resting place of Aédh, an anchorite monk

Killaghtee Cross
Killaghtee Cross, Co Donegal, Ireland

Killaghtee old church
Killaghtee old church

Cú Chulainn’s Stone

Clochafarmore Standing Stone aka Cuchulain's Stone
Clochafarmore Standing Stone aka Cuchulain’s Stone, Co Louth, Ireland

Cú Chulainn's Stone
In the Irish saga the Táin Bó Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) Cú Chulainn (the hero of Ulster) is said to have tied himself to a standing stone when mortally wounded. While tied to the stone his enemies feared approaching thinking he lived until the battle goddess Morrigu (Morrígan) lands on his shoulder in the form of a raven. When sure he is dead they approach and Lugaid beheads Cú Chulainn whose sword falls and slices of Lugaid’s right hand, in revenge they cut off Cú Chulainn’s hand.

Rathlackan Court Tomb

Rathlackan Court Tomb 1
Rathlackan Court Tomb, Co Mayo, Ireland

Rathlackan Court Tomb 2

The east facing entrance to the gallery

Rathlackan Court Tomb 3

Rathlackan Court Tomb 4

The court from the east

Rathlackan Court Tomb 5

Looking down on the gallery entrance and first chamber

Rathlackan Court Tomb 6

The gallery as viewed from the back (west)

Glendalough Monastic City

St Kevin's Church and the round tower
St Kevin’s Church and Round Tower, Glendalough, Co Wicklow, Ireland

St Kevin's Church and the round tower
St Kevin’s Church and Round Tower, Glendalough

St Kevin's Church
St Kevin’s Church

Glendalough Round Tower
Glendalough Round Tower, Glendalough

Glendalough Round Tower
Glendalough Round Tower, Glendalough

Glendalough Reefert Church and cross
Glendalough Reefert Church and crosses, Glendalough Monastic City

Glendalough Reefert Church and cross
Glendalough Reefert Church and cross, Glendalough Monastic City

Glendalough Reefert Church
Glendalough Reefert Church

Glendalough Reefert Church
Glendalough Reefert Church

Glendalough Cathedral
Glendalough Cathedral

Glendalough Cathedral
Glendalough Cathedral

Glendalough Cathedral
Glendalough Cathedral

Glendalough Crosses

Nine crosses at Glendalough Monastic City
Reefert Cross

Reefert Cross, Glendalough, Co Wicklow, Ireland

Cross at Reefert Church ruin

Cross at Reefert Church ruin, Glendalough

Cross 1, Glendalough

Rough Cross at Reefert Church ruin, Glendalough

Cross 2, Glendalough

Broken Cross at Reefert Church ruin, Glendalough Monastic City

High Cross

High Cross (with broken shaft?), Glendalough

St Kevin's Cross

St Kevin’s Cross, Glendalough Monastic City

Cross 3, Glendalough

Three more broken crosses, Glendalough Monastic City

Cross 4, Glendalough

Cross 5, Glendalough

St Mochta’s House

St Mochta's House
St Mochta’s House, Louth, Co Louth, Ireland

St Mochta's House
St Mochta, a disciple of St Patrick, founded a monastery here in the early 6th century. The building here is thought to date to the 12th Century

St Mary’s Priory

St Mary's Priory
St Mary’s Priory, Louth, Co Louth, Ireland

St Mary's Priory
The 13th century church ruins are on the site of a monastery founded by St Mochta early in the 6th century

St Mary's Priory

St Mary's Priory

Atlantic Bar

Atlantic Bar
Atlantic Bar, Portrush, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland – Kodak HIE infrared film

Kilclooney More Dolmen revisited

Kilclooney More Dolmen (Portal Tomb), Co Donegal, Ireland
Kilclooney More Dolmen 01

The portal tomb viewed from the south (above)

Kilclooney More Dolmen 02

…viewed from the south east (above)

Kilclooney More Dolmen 03

… viewed from the east (above)

Kilclooney More Dolmen 04

… viewed from the north east (above)

Kilclooney More Dolmen 05

… viewed from the north (above)

Kilclooney More Dolmen 06

and viewed from the north west (above)

Kilclooney More Court Tomb

Kilclooney More Court Tomb 1
Kilclooney More Court Tomb, Co Donegal, Ireland. The west end of the tomb

Kilclooney More Court Tomb 2
The east entrance to the tomb

Kilclooney More Court Tomb 3
The court tomb viewed from the north east