Ireland Inside and Out

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Ireland Inside & Out

Ireland Inside & Out -- Irish History, Mysteries, People And Places In Ireland And Around The World

Ireland Inside & Out
A Walk In Strokestown Park Woodland ASMR, County Roscommon Planted by Henry Pakenham-Mahon more than 300 years ago, the woodlands at Strokestown Park are now lush woodlands of mature beech and oak trees. The woodlands are part of what was once an 11,000 acre estate, Strokestown Park, an 18th century Palladian house in County Roscommon, Ireland. Strokestown Park is home to the National Famine Museum. #Strokestown #roscommon #famine #ireland #irishhistory #NationalFamineMuseum #irishfamine #StrokestownPark #countyroscommon #asmr
A Walk In Strokestown Park's Woodland ASMR, County Roscommon
Exploring Tulsk Priory , County Roscommon In medieval times, the crossroads at Tulsk was a hotspot. This area was the site of battles, stone towers, castles, soldier’s garrisons, and the Dominican Priory beside the Ogulla River. Today these roads are Ireland’s N5 and N61 motorways. Tulsk was once the seat of the O’Conors. The Dominican Priory, dedicated to St Patrick, was founded here in 1488 by Fedlimid O'Conor. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in the mid-16th century, the priory at Tulsk was no longer a monastic site. In 1595, Sir Richard Bingham, acting governor of Connacht built a tower house in what was the chancel of the priory. Bingham was sent to Ireland by Elizabeth I to put down rebellions by Irish chieftains and Tulsk became his headquarters. Bingham earned the nickname ‘Flail of Connacht’ for crushing the Gaelic Lords rebellions. The surviving parts of the tower include three stories on the west side with fragmentary walls on the north and south sides. A fireplace is visible on the third story of the west wall. In the north wall there was a doorway at ground level, At one time, the tower had a small English garrison. The tower was demolished by Sir Charles Lane in 1651. The south transept extends to the left. Only fragments remain of the north and south walls and the tower house is standing the chancel. Two pointed archways in the south wall of the nave, lead into the south transept. There are a number of 18th century memorial plaques, bearing crucifixion scenes, dotted around the Priory . One of them bears the Conor Roe Coat of arms, another bears the O'Kelly arms. Over the centuries, a graveyard was established around the former priory/tower house. The cemetery is still in use. There are a number of 18th century headstones and tomb slabs inside what was one the tower house and scattered throughout the cemetery. There are also a number of 18th century dedication plaques. The priory and tower ruins reflect just one of the many layers of history and prehistory on the site. Archaeological research conducted by the Discovery Programme, Ireland's archaeological research institute, and funded by the Heritage Council, has examined the nature of Gaelic lordship and settlement in north Roscommon during the late medieval period, c. 1170–1650 AD. Since 2003, elements of this work focused on the history and development of Tulsk as the principal residence of the O’Conor Roe (Rua) lords. Recent archaeological excavations revealed prehistoric levels extending into the Mesolithic era, when hunting and gathering prevailed. Tulsk History Society https://www.tulskhs.com/ Visions of the Past -- Tulsk Abbey & Cemetery, Roscommon, Ireland https://visionsofthepastblog.com/2012/12/13/tulsk-abbey-cemetery-co-roscommon/ Tulsk http://tulsk.weebly.com/ #medieval #Tulsk #Roscommon #priory #Irish #Irishhistory #Ireland #rathcroghan
Exploring Tulsk Priory , County Roscommon
0:00 Intro 0:07 Rathcroghan overview 0:23 Virtual tour 0:53 Visitors center 1:15 Museum 2:46 Exhibits 5:00 Visitors center exterior 5:50 Diorama 7:29 Oweynagat cave Rathcroghan - The Home of Halloween, Queen Medb, and the Morrigan Rathcroghan was considered the royal site of Connacht, which today is one of Ireland’s four provinces. Rathcroghan contains 240 individual archaeological sites, 60 of which are protected Irish national monuments. Very little in the way of archeological research has been conducted here. Many of its sites remain shrouded in mystery. Rathcroghan is a 2.3 square mile (6 square kilometers) ancient ritual complex. It is one of six such complexes in Ireland. In Irish pagan mythology, on one particular day of the year, Samhain, the boundary between this world and the Otherworld are said to become thin and blurred. Contact with the aos sí ('spirits' or 'fairies') and the dead are more likely. Samhain (SOW-in) takes place 1 November, but celebration of this liminal festival begins on 31 October – Halloween. In an often muddy field near the medieval town of Tulsk in County Roscommon, Ireland, lies a cave known as Oweynagat.Oweynagat (pronounced Oen-na-gat), translated from Irish, means Cave of the Cats The Rathcroghan Visitor Center calls the Oweynagat cave “the home of Halloween.”The cave is said to be entrance to the Otherworld. It became "Ireland's Gate to Hell" during the middle ages, when Christianity held sway and the Catholic church sought to coopt pagan beliefs and rituals. Oweynagat is also said to be the birthplace of Medb (also known as Maeve), legendary queen of Connaught (Connacht). Queen Medb isn’t the only legendary female to call Oweynagat home.The cave is also considered the “fit abode” of the Morrígan, a punitive shape-shifting goddess associated with war and fate, with foretelling doom, death, or victory in battle. The Morrígan is also seen as an earth- and sovereignty-goddess, a guardian of a territory and its people. As of late 2024, you cannot enter Oweynagat. The cave itself is closed due to a “health and safety review,” the details of which remain unclear. The website Caves of Ireland, created by Dublin-based cave photographer Robert Mulraney, provides excellent visual and text documentation of Oweynagat. https://cavesofireland.com/home/caves/oweynagat-cave-of-the-cats-co-roscommon/ Despite the cave’s closure, there are ways to get a look at the cave without breaking a sweat or getting muddy and wet. A 3-D model of the cave can be found online, created by the National Museum of Ireland’s Discovery Program.https://ogham.celt.dias.ie/site.php Admission to the Rathcroghan Museum as of 2024 is €7 for adults, €6 for seniors and students and €4 for children 10 to 17. Rates for groups of 10 or more are €5 each.https://www.rathcroghan.ie/visit-planning/opening-times-facilities/I recommend the 2.5 hour Rathcroghan Guided Archaeological Tour, which takes place Monday through Friday. Cost of the guided tour (as of 2024) is €21.20 for adults, €19.08 for seniors and students, €16 each for a group of 10 to 19 people, €14 each for 20 or more. The cost of tour includes admission to the museum. Learn more: Rathcroghan Visitors Center https://www.rathcroghan.ie/ The Táin or The Cattle Raid of Cooley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A1in_B%C3%B3_C%C3%BAailnge The Morrígan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morr%C3%ADgan Oweynagat - Cave of the Cats https://www.ouririshheritage.org/content/knowyour5k/oweynagat-cave-of-the-cats Experience Oweynagat with this 3D model by the Discovery Programme: https://skfb.ly/CBER #archaeological #Bealtaine, #Catholic #CaveoftheCats #DayoftheDead #DíadeMuertos #Halloween #Imbolc #Ireland #Irish #Maeve #Morrígan #Oweynagat, #pagan #Queen Medb #Rathcroghan #Samhain #Tulsk #roscommon #irishhistory
Rathcroghan - The Home of Halloween, Queen Medb, and the Morrigan
In October 2022 I attempted to visit the Cave of the Cats. Rain, mud, a locked farm gate and a sudden throng of tourists thwarted my attempt. If there’s an entrance to hell associated with Oweynagat, it begins on the unpaved narrow farm lane that dead ends at a farm gate. One side of the lane is lined with farm houses and outbuildings. The other side of lane is a farm field, bordered by a barbed wire fence and a ditch deep enough to disable vehicles. Recent rains had turned the unpaved lane to mud and filled the ditch with water. The path to the cave was a strip of muddy water. The nearly knee high grass in field, a pasture, was soaking wet. When I arrived, I parked near the farm gate in what appeared to be the only place my car might not become stuck in the mud. As I was trying to figure out how to get around or over the farm gate, several cars and the Rathcroghan visitors center tour van arrived almost simultaneously. If all of the cars and the van parked along the lane with my vehicle, the driveways to the homes on the lane would be blocked Plus, everyone who emerged from the van and other vehicle was wearing wellies. While I was wearing boots, they were not waterproof wellies. It was either give up the cave trek and leave or be parked in by other vehicles and being forced to wait for the adventurers to return. I left. Just to affirm my decision, a downpour began just as I cleared the farm lane and turned back on the narrow, but paved, rural road. If you visit Rathcroghan, I would strongly recommend going to the visitors center first and then taking the 2.5 hour guided van tour. Unless you happen to be a local or a Rathcroghan scholar, the tour guides know the sites and the roads better than you do.
Not Accessing Oweynagat, the Cave of the Cats
Hozier, encore, Chula Vista, Ca., 14/09/24
Hozier, encore, Chula Vista, Ca., 14/09/24
00:00 00:18 Intro 00:19 00:38 location 00:34 01:08 Going underground 01:09 06:47 Tour 06:47 08:42 Exhibition The Arigna Mining Experience is dedicated to the history of coal mining in Arigna, County Roscommon, Ireland during a period of 400 years. It is Ireland's first coal mining museum. https://www.arignaminingexperience.ie/ Mining in the Arigna area began with the extraction of iron ore from Sliabh an Iarain (Irish for "iron mountain"), anglicized Slieve Anierin, a mountain in nearby County Leitrim, Ireland. Iron was originally smelted using charcoal until most of the trees in the area were cut down and the ironworks in Argrina turned to using coal in late 1700s. These ironworks closed in 1838, but by then Arigna coal was being used to heat homes and buildings in Dublin. The area around Arigna is rocky, mountainous and poorly suited for agriculture. Mining provided work for people in the area. In 1958, the Arigna 15 megawatt power station opened to produce electricity. The Arigna coal mine was its source of fuel. It was the first major power generating station in the province of Connacht. The power station was designed to specifically to burn the semi bituminous coal with high ash content that was extracted from the Arigna mine. at its peak, The power station burned 55,000 tonnes of coal a year,. https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/arigna/ Coal mined elsewhere in Europe became cheaper to use than the locally mined coal. The mine shut down in 1990 and the power station shut down and was decommissioned in 1993 after using up a two-year stored supply of Arigna coal. https://www.rte.ie/archives/2018/0628/973910-arigna-power-station-closes/ In the wake of the closing or the mine and power station, local residents along with local and national government agencies redeveloped the mine with dual purposes of preserving their rich mining heritage and boosting the local economy through tourism. With the support of Roscommon County Council – through its LEADER programme – and the Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources, the Arigna Mining Experience was opened in April 2003. Total investment in the project was more than €2 million, with €250,000 raised by the local community. The visitor centre was expanded in 2019. It includes a café, gift shop and dedicated audio visual area. The gift shop was extended in 2019, the Arigna Mining Experience and now includes a 60 seat café, gift shop and Audio visual room. Admission to the display area, gift shop and café are free. The 45-minute tour cost is €15 for adults, €13 for seniors and children 5-18 are €8. Family and group rates are available. Open from 10am daily seven days a week. It is advisable to book in advance on-line, check availability for tours on the ‘Book Now’ button at the bottom of this page. The Arigna Mining Experience is open seven days from 10AM all year except for a few days between Christmas and New year. Advance booking is recommended. To book a tour: https://www.arignaminingexperience.ie/opening-times More reading: The Irish Times Arigna pays tribute to miners on 25th anniversary of coal mines closing Ex-miners, now guides, recall savage working conditions https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/arigna-pays-tribute-to-miners-on-25th-anniversary-of-coal-mines-closing-1.2139156 The Irish Times Arigna project tracks history of every household in the former mining valley Roscommon ancestor of mayor of Sydney was sent to Australia in leg irons https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/arigna-project-tracks-history-of-every-household-in-the-former-mining-valley-1.1476362 #Agrina #ireland #irishhistory #roscommon #tourism #ArignaMiningExperience
Underground Ireland: Arigna Mining Experience
0:00 Intro 0:18 Educated at Gorthaganny N.S. 0:20 Gorthaganny 0:40 Monument 00:50 Life story Dermot Earley: Irish Sporting Legend and Military Hero Dermot Earley, an iconic figure in Irish sports and military history, left an indelible mark on the fields of Gaelic football and the military. Born on February 1, 1948, in County Roscommon, Ireland, Earley's life journey was one of dedication, resilience, and exceptional achievements. Sporting Brilliance Dermot Earley's sporting prowess was evident from a young age. He first gained national attention as a Gaelic footballer, representing his county, Roscommon, with distinction. His exceptional skills on the field and his leadership qualities quickly earned him a place among the Gaelic football elite. Earley's playing career spanned from 1966 to 1985, during which he earned a reputation as one of the finest midfielders in the history of the sport. His agility, strategic thinking, and ability to score crucial points made him an invaluable asset to both his county and his club, Roscommon Gaels. One of the defining moments of Earley's Gaelic football career came in 1980 when he captained the Roscommon team to victory in the Connacht Senior Football Championship. This achievement solidified his status as a legendary figure in Roscommon's sporting history. His impact on the game was not only felt at the county level but also extended to the national stage, where he represented Ireland in the International Rules series. Military Commitment Beyond the sporting arena, Dermot Earley's life took a parallel path as a distinguished military officer. He joined the Irish Army in 1968, and his military career ran in tandem with his Gaelic football exploits. Rising through the ranks, Earley's leadership qualities were evident on and off the field. Earley's commitment to the military was most notably demonstrated during his service in Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). His dedication and leadership in a challenging international peacekeeping mission earned him widespread respect. Legacy and Recognition Dermot Earley's legacy extends beyond the accolades and trophies he earned on the field and the military commendations he received. His impact on both Gaelic football and the military was monumental, leaving an enduring mark that continues to inspire future generations. In recognition of his contributions, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) established the Dermot Earley Centre of Excellence in 2011. This state-of-the-art facility in Roscommon serves as a hub for Gaelic games development and reflects Earley's commitment to nurturing young talent. Posthumously, in 2019, Dermot Earley was honored with the GAA's Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious accolade acknowledged not only his sporting prowess but also his broader contributions to Irish society, encompassing his military service and leadership. Dermot Earley's life journey was one of extraordinary accomplishments, seamlessly intertwining his passion for Gaelic football with a deep sense of duty to his country. His legacy lives on, not only in the trophies and awards but in the inspiration he provides to those who follow in his footsteps. As a sporting legend and military hero, Dermot Earley's impact on Irish culture and society is a testament to the indomitable spirit of a man who excelled both on and off the field. Sources: 1. "Dermot Earley: A Gaelic football legend," The Irish Times, [link]https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/dermot-earley-a-gaelic-football-legend-1.3026948 2. "Dermot Earley - A soldier and a gentleman," RTE Sporthttps://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2010/0305/261488-earleyd/ 3. "Dermot Earley, The GAA Legend, The Gentleman," Sports Chronicle, https://www.sportschronicle.com/gaa/dermot-earley/ #DermotEarley, #gaelicfootball #irishdefenseforces #Ireland #Irish #footballer #gaa #irishhistory #majorgeneraldermotearley #irishsports #roscommonireland, #Gorthaganny #countyroscommon #irelandRoscommon #roscommon
Remembering Dermot Earley: Irish Sporting Legend and Military Hero
0:00 -- intro 0:27 - Dowth 8:35 - Knowth 16:26 - Newgrange Located in a bend of the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland, Brú na Bóinne ("mansion or palace of the Boyne") is also called the Boyne Valley tombs. Brú na Bóinne is an ancient monument complex and ritual landscape built during the 32nd century BCE. The site is dominated by the passage tombs of Dowth (Dubhadh), Knowth (Cnogbha) and Newgrange (Sí an Bhrú). Brú na Bóinne is one of the world's most important Neolithic landscapes, and is a UNESCO Wolrd Heritage site. Collectively it consists of at least ninety monuments including passage tombs, burial mounds, standing stones and enclosures. It is the largest assemblage of megalithic art in Europe. The archaeological culture associated with is called the "Boyne culture," of which little is known. The Boyne valley has been a center of human settlement for at least 6,000 years. Most of the major structures date from the Neolithic period to around 5,000 years ago. Predating the Egyptian pyramids, the site is a complex of Neolithic mounds, chamber tombs, standing stones, henges and other prehistoric enclosures. The site covers 780 ha (1,927 acres). Brú na Bóinne is located eight kilometers west of Drogheda in County Meath, Ireland, in a bend of the River Boyne, about 40 kilometers north of Dublin. It contains about 40 passage tombs, as well as other prehistoric sites and features built later. Brú na Bóinne is also an important archaeoastronomical site. Several of the passage tombs are aligned with the winter solstice and equinoxes. The site’s construction is sophisticated, showing a knowledge of science and astronomy, which is especially evident in the winter solstice-aligned passage grave of Newgrange. Most of the monuments are on the north side of the river Boyne. Each of main tombs stand on a ridge within the river bend. Dowth, Knowth, and Newgrange may have been built to be visible from each other and from northern and southern approaches along the Boyne. Two of the tombs, Knowth and Newgrange, appear to contain stones re-used from an earlier monument at the site, there is no evidence for earlier activity at the site, except for a few finds of flint tools from Mesolithic hunters. Work on the tombs and other features by the original Boyne culture appears to have stopped around 2,900 BCE. The area was ritual and ceremonial site in the later Bronze Age and Iron Age, long after the Boyne culture that built the tombs had disappeared. The area was used until the early Bronze Age, when a number of embanked, pit and wooden post circles (collectively referred to as "henges") were built. Artifacts from the later Bronze Age include some cist and ring ditch burials and burnt mounds. From the Iron Age there is only evidence of sporadic activity, such as burials near Knowth and at Rosnaree. Valuable items from the Roman period such as coins and jewelry were found near Newgrange In Irish mythology, the tombs are considered portals to the Otherworld and the homes of the deities, The Dagda and his son Aengus. The Brú na Bóinne began was first studied by antiquarians in the 18th century. Archaeological excavations began in the 20th century, when some of the passage tombs – Knowth and Newgrange – underwent restoration. #ireland #newgrange #Dowth #Knowth #passagetomb #irish #irishhistory #ancient #ancientireland #countymeath #riverboyne #boynevalley #history #prehistoric #prehistoricireland #megalithic #megalithicireland #archeology #kerbstone #ritual #mysterious #bronzeage #henge #standingstone #stonecircle #stonecircles #neolithic #neolithicage #runes #wintersolstice #megalithicart #ironage #bronzeage
Ireland's Amazing Boyne Valley Tombs – Dowth, Knowth and Newgrange
0:00 Intro 0:32 Earliest reference to church 1:32 Graveyard 3:01 Black Death sermon 6:08 Church recorded as ruined 6:31 View of nave 7:07 15th century Gothic window 7:24 Church built after Battle of the Boyne 7:35 19th century additions St. Mary's Church, Mansfieldstown is a medieval church and National Monument in County Louth, Ireland. Mansfieldstown Church is located 3.7 km (2.3 mi) west of Castlebellingham, on the north bank of the River Glyde. The earliest reference to a church here is in the Papal Registers of 1299. Archbishop Richard FitzRalph delivered a sermon at Mansfieldstown in 1349, in the midst of the Black Death. The church was recorded as ruined in 1640. The confusingly named Mansfieldstown Old Church was built in 1691, after the Battle of the Boyne. The church currently is in ruins. The church incorporates a 15th-century Late Gothic east window. The Late Gothic east window has tracery, stones bars or ribs, that help support glass. There were many alterations and additions made in the 19th century. The graveyard surrounding the ruined church has a mixture of very old and more recent burials. A large, decorated, c. 15th-century baptismal font once stood here. The baptismal font it is now in another church names for St. Mary, St. Mary's Parish Church, in nearby Ardee. St. Mary’s in Ardee Built was circa 1810 on the site of an earlier church. During the Black Death, in 1349, Archbishop Richard FitzRalph delivered a sermon at Mansfieldstown. Mansfieldtown, the townland name, is derived from the Anglo-Norman Maundeville family who settled there after 1172. #ireland #irish #irishhistory #ancientireland #countylouth #history #mansfieldtown #earlychristianireland #church #historicchurch #louth #stmaryschurch
The Captivating History of St. Mary's Church, Mansfieldtown
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