Fishing Boats, Gortahork, Co Donegal, Ireland
St Colmcille’s Abbey
St Colmcille’s Abbey, Gartan, Co Donegal, Ireland
The site is reputed to be the birthplace of St Colmcille
The remains of an ancient cross on a small mound
The remains of the other cross
The Holy Well at the entrance to the site
The flagstone of loneliness
Leac na Cumha – The flagstone of loneliness, Co Donegal, Ireland. St Colmcille is said to have slept on this ancient cup-marked stone before his exile to Iona.
Ancient megalithic site…
rebranded as St. Colmcille’s Birthplace by a large cross and stone plaque
Old Conwal Graveyard
Old Conwal Graveyard, Co Donegal, Ireland
Decorated pillar
Crude figure on stone
Celtic cross and knot work on grave slab
Cross on large grave slab
Queen Maeve
Queen Maeve – Trawler, Carnlough Harbour, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Kilkeel Fishing Supplies
Kilkeel Fishing Supplies – mural, Kilkeel, Co Down, Northern Ireland
Barnes Lower Stone Row
Barnes Lower Stone Row (Alignment), Co Donegal, Ireland
The two larger stones as storm approaches
Doe Castle
Doe Castle, Donegal, Ireland
Pluck Standing Stone
Pluck Standing Stone, Co Donegal, Ireland
Ray High Cross
Ray High Cross, Co Donegal, Ireland
aka St Colm Cille’s Cross
The Ruin of Ray Church
Ray Church, Co Donegal, Ireland
Castleroche
Castleroche (Roche Castle), Co Louth, Ireland
Dunlewy Old Church
Dunlewy Old Church, the Poisoned Glen, Co Donegal, Ireland
Mount Errigal
Mount Errigal, Co Donegal, Ireland
Ards Beg Portal Tomb
Ards Beg (Ardsbeg) Portal Tomb, Co Donegal, Ireland
St John’s Tower
St John’s Tower, Castledermot, Co Kildare, Ireland. The bell tower of a medieval leper hospital founded in 1210
St Patrick’s Well – Tubberpatrick
St Patrick’s Well (Tubberpatrick), Portstewart, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Trim Castle
Trim Castle, Co Meath, Ireland
The Yellow Steeple – St. Mary’s Abbey
The Yellow Steeple, – St. Mary’s Abbey, Trim, Co Meath, Ireland
Door detail of St. Mary’s Abbey
Portstewart strand
Portstewart strand, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
St Deirbhile’s Church and Graveyard
St Deirbhile’s Church, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Ireland
Some of the crosses in St Deirbhile’s Graveyard
St Deirbhile’s Holy Well
St Deirbhile’s Holy Well, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Ireland
An annual pilgrimage takes place around 15th August
The story of St. Dairbhile goes something like this… born of a noble family of Meath she travelled to the Mullet peninsula to escape a noble suitor. However, she was followed, and gouged out her own eyes to make herself less attractive. When her horrified Prince left, she washed her eyes in the waters of a well that sprung from where they had fallen and her sight was restored.
Monkstown Castle
Monkstown Castle, Co Meath, Ireland – Ruin of 15th century tower house
Millin Bay Cairn
Millin Bay Cairn, Ards Peninsula, Co Down, Northern Ireland
Manorhamilton Castle
Manorhamilton Castle, Co Leitrim, Ireland
Manorhamilton Castle was built around 1635
Bective Abbey
Bective Abbey, Co Meath, Ireland
Bective Abbey was founded in 1147 for the Cistercians by Murchadh O’ Melaghin, King of Meath and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin
The Cloister
Ballycleagh Standing Stones revisit
Ballycleagh Standing Stones, Cushendun, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Kilwaughter Castle
Kilwaughter Castle, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Rosserk Abbey (Friary)
Rosserk Abbey (Friary), Killala, Co Mayo, Ireland
Founded around 1450 for the Friars of the Third Order Franciscans
Ballyadams Castle
Ballyadams Castle, Co Laois, Ireland
Killala Round Tower
Killala Round Tower, Co Mayo, Ireland
12th century Round Tower – the original monastic settlement probably goes back to the 5th century when St Patrick appointed Muiredach as first bishop of Killala
Carlingford
The Tholsel (Town Gate), Carlingford, Co. Louth, Ireland
The Tholsel was also used as the town gaol in the 18th century
King John’s Castle
The Mint
Taaffe’s Castle / Merchant House
The streets of Carlingford
Carlingford Abbey
Carlingford Abbey (Dominican Friary), Co Louth, Ireland
Founded circa 1305 by the Dominican Order
Proleek Wedge Tomb
Proleek Wedge Tomb, Cooley Peninsula, Co Louth, Ireland
Whites Castle
Whites Castle, Athy, Co Kildare, Ireland
Whites Castle was built in 1417 to protect the bridge over the river Barrow by Sir John Talbot, Viceroy of Ireland
St Brigid’s Well and Faughart old graveyard
St. Brigid’s Well, Faughart, Co Louth, Ireland
St. Brigid’s Well
Rag Tree at St Brigid’s Well
By the shrine
The ruins of a medieval church
The grave of Edward Bruce, King of Ireland who was defeated and killed in the battle of Faughart 14th October 1318. (brother of Robert Bruce King of Scotland)
Some of the interesting headstones
St Brigid’s Shrine
Steps to St Brigid’s Shrine, Faughart, Co Louth, Ireland
1st February St Brigid’s feast day is also Imbolc a pagan festival marking the beginning of spring associated with the Irish Goddess Brigid. Some believe the date of Imbolc was more flexible and associated with the onset of the lambing season.
The Grotto
Some of the Stations positioned along St Brigid’s stream
Station 6 Cloch na Crúibe – The hoof stone
Station 7 Cloch na Glúine – The knee stone
Station 8 Cloch an Choim – The waist stone
Renvyle Castle
Renvyle Castle, 13-14th century tower house. Around 1546 Donal O’Flaherty married Grace O’Malley (Granuaile Ni Mhaille, Gráinne O’Malley) the famous Sea Queen of Connacht, and they lived at the castle
Downhill Demesne & Mussenden Temple
Downhill Demesne, Co Derry, Northern Ireland
The path from Downhill house to the Mussenden Temple
Mussenden Temple was built in 1785 inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli
The temple is located on the cliff edge overlooking Downhill Strand and the Atlantic Ocean
Castledermot Round Tower and High Crosses
Castledermot Round Tower and High Crosses, Co Kildare, Ireland
Castledermot Round Tower and Romanesque arch of earlier church (reconstructed)
South High Cross, West face
South High Cross, East face
North High Cross, East face
North High Cross, West face
Holed cross stone (the swearing stone) – very weathered
Viking Hog-back stone with weathered diamond pattern on one side and crosses on the other
Medieval millstone in the graveyard