Tawly Mass Rock

Tawly Mass Rock and Bullaun Stone

Tawly Mass Rock and Bullaun Stone, Leitrim, Ireland

Tawly Mass Rock and Bullaun Stone

The Mass rock has an incised cross and ‘IHS’ inscription just visible below

Tawly Mass Rock
Tawly Bullaun Stone

Tawly Bullaun Stone – both stones were found close by

Traditional Jack O’ Lantern 2022

Traditional Jack O’ Lantern 2022

Halloween or Halowe’en comes from All Hallows Eve – The night before All Hallows Day (All Saints Day) which was the Christanisation of Samhain an ancient Celtic festival of celebration, feasting and connecting with ancestors at harvest time. Celebrated on October 31st, the half way point between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. Ancient Celtic tradition marked this as a time when the barriers between the spiritual and physical worlds came down which marked it as a time for Fairies (Shee/Sidhe) and other malevolent beings. From here we get many of the pagan practices that continue to today. Irish and Scottish migrants took their traditions with them to America and America, well Americanised it.

Traditional Jack O’ Lantern 2022

Links to past Jack O’ Lanterns 2017 here https://www.tonyoneill.org/2017/10/25/traditional-jack-o-lantern-2017/ and 2016 here https://www.tonyoneill.org/2016/10/27/irish-jack-o-lantern/

Auglish Stone circles

Auglish/Aughlish Stone Circle

Auglish/Aughlish Stone Circles, Derry, Northern Ireland

Auglish/Aughlish Stone Circle

A series of 5 small stone circles and alignments in the foothills of the Spirrins

Auglish/Aughlish Stone Circle
Auglish/Aughlish Stone Circle

One of the alinments

Alignment stone

Showing the alignment

The largest of the circle stones

Same stone as above

Donaghmore Round Tower and Church

Donaghmore Round Tower and Church

Donaghmore Round Tower and Church, Co Meath, Ireland

Donaghmore Round Tower and Church

Donaghmore 10th century Round Tower and 15th Century Church ruin

Donaghmore Round Tower and Church

Donaghmore Round Tower stands 26 meters tall

Donaghmore Church ruin

The ruin of Donaghmore Church

Donaghmore Round Towe

Donaghmore Round Tower just off the N51 Navan to Slane Road

Donaghmore Round Tower and Church

An original monastery here dates to St. Patrick who gave his disciple, St. Cassanus (Cassan) stewardship

Culfeightrin Standing Stones revisited

aka Ballynagloch Standing Stones

Ballynagloch Standing Stones

Culfeightrin Standing Stones, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

The larger standing stone in the graveyard at Culfeightrin Church

The smaller Standing Stone to the East of the larger stone

Behy Cliffs

Cliffs, Co Mayo

Behy Cliffs, Co Mayo, Ireland (Opposite the Céide Fields Visitors Centre)

Beaghmore Stone Circles revisited

The Beagmore Megalithic Complex

Beaghmore stone circles, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland

Alignment at Beaghmore Megalithic Complex

The Beagmore Stone Circle Complex comprises of a mixture of small stone circles, cairns, and alignments

Alignment at Beaghmore
Alignment of some of the larger stones at the Beagmore Megalithic Complex

Alignment of some of the larger stones at the Beagmore Megalithic Complex

Two of the stone circles at Beaghmore Megalithic Complex

Two of the circles and below from the top circle

Stone circle with larger entrance stones

St Tassach’s Church

St Tassach's Church

St Tassach’s Church, Raholp, Co Down, Northern Ireland

The original church was founded by St. Patrick and his disciple St. Tassach was put in charge. The ruin here dates from the 10th or 11th century

Struell Wells revisited

The Men’s Bath House - Struell Wells

Struell Wells, Downpatrick, Co Down, Northern Ireland

The Church ruin - Struell Wells

The church ruin

Inside the Church ruin - Struell Wells

Inside the church

The Drinking Well - Struell Wells

The Drinking Well beside the church ruin

The Men’s and Women’s Bath Houses

The Men’s and Women’s Bath Houses

The Men’s and Women’s Bath Houses

The Women’s Bath House in the foreground with the Men’s Bath House behind

The Eye Well - Struell Wells

The Eye Well at Struell Wells

Carrownacaw Standing Stone

Carrownacaw Standing Stone aka the Long Stone, Co Down, Northern Ireland

It leans slightly and is tied to a tree with steel wire.

The standing stone is 3m tall of Silurian rock

The ‘mortuary house’ at Saul

The ‘mortuary house’ at Saul, Co. Down, Northern Ireland

A belief it was a 12th century shrine, for relics of St Patrick, St Brigid and St Columba seems unlikely as…

A Queen’s University archaeological investigation dates it as more likely late 16th century

Maghera Round Tower and Old Church

Maghera Round Tower

Maghera Round Tower, Co Down, Northern Ireland

Maghera Round Tower

The remains of the round tower thought to date from the 10th century

Maghera Round Tower
Maghera Old Church

Maghera Old Church ruin thought to date to 12th century

Altar in the Woods

Carved altar stone in Craigagh Woods, Knockna-carry, Cushendun, Co Antrim

The altar with the carved stone

The stone depicts an angel above a crucified Christ

The stone is thought to come from one of the Scottish Islands

Mass is still said in June every year

Loughinisland 3 Churches

On an island (now connected by a causeway) in Loughinisland Lake are the ruins of three churches dating from the 11th to 17th centuries

The North Church with burial vault in the foreground

The North Church with burial vault in the foreground

The North Church

The North Church

The North Church

Another view of The North Church

The South Church aka MacCartan's Chapel

The South Church aka MacCartan’s Chapel

The South Church aka MacCartan's Chapel viewed from the east

Back of The South Church

The interior of The North Church

The interior of The North Church

Latin inscription on stone set into south wall

Latin inscription on stone set into south wall

Doorway of The South Church

Doorway of The South Church

Doorway of The North Church

Doorway of The North Church

The burial vault

The burial vault

Beltany Stone Circle – revisited

Beltany Stone Circle

Beltany Stone Circle, Raphoe, Co Donegal, Ireland

Beltany Stone Circle

the Celtic festival of fertility known as Beltane is celebrated in early May and it is thought the circle takes its name from this festival

Beltany Stone Circle
Beltany Stone Circle
Cup marked triangle stone at Beltany stone circle

This is the cup marked triangle stone

Beltany Standing Stone

The Standing Stone at the circle

Beltany Stone Circle

Link to first visit – https://www.tonyoneill.org/2016/09/15/beltany-stone-circle/

Grace O’Malley’s Castle

Rockfleet Castle

Grace O’Malley’s Castle aka Kildavnet Castle, Achill Island, Co Mayo, Ireland

Rockfleet Castle

Built in the 14 century this Tower House was one of three strongholds of Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Ní Mháille), the “pirate queen” 1530 – 1603

Interior detail

Cloughey

Free range eggs and potatoes for sale

Old buildings, Ardminnan Road, Cloughey (Cloughy) (Cloghy), Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland

Old buildings, Ardminnan Road, Cloughey (Cloughy) (Cloghy), Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland

Carrowmore Megalithic Complex revisited

Carrowmore Megalithic Complex, Co Sligo, Ireland

Carrowmore Tomb 1

Carrowmore Tomb 1

Carrowmore Tomb 3

Carrowmore Tomb 3

Carrowmore Tomb 4

Carrowmore Tomb 4

Carrowmore Tomb 7

Carrowmore Tomb 7

Carrowmore Tomb 13

Carrowmore Tomb 13

Carrowmore Tomb 13

Carrowmore Tomb 13

Carrowmore Tomb 18

Carrowmore Tomb 18

Carrowmore Tomb 51 - Listoghill

Carrowmore Tomb 51 – Listoghill

Carrowmore Tomb 51

Carrowmore Tomb 51 – the chamber in the cairn

Carrowmore Tomb 52

Carrowmore Tomb 52

Carrowmore Tomb 52a

Carrowmore Tomb 52a

Carrowmore Tomb 53

Carrowmore Tomb 53

Carrowmore Tomb 56

Carrowmore Tomb 56

Carrowmore Tomb 57

Carrowmore Tomb 57. Link for first visit to site here

Doonfeeny Standing Stone

Doonfeeny Standing Stone

Doonfeeny/Dunfeeny Standing Stone, Co Mayo, Ireland

Doonfeeny Standing Stone

Also known as Cloch Fada (Long Stone) situated in an ancient graveyard

Detail of cross on Doonfeeny Standing Stone

Detail of one of two crosses on Doonfeeny Standing Stone added to Christianise it