Heritage Ireland Ezine Issue 2

Issue 2 SUMMER 2015

HeritageIRELAND

in this issu e...SKELLIG MICHAEL

MONASTIC SETTLEMENT, OFF THE COAST OF KERRY

Image © Raymond Fogarty

2 www.heritageireland.ie

inthis

issue...contents

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84 Contributors5 nEwS / what’S haPPEnInG

Christy Brown Archive ExhibitionNew Grant Scheme for Archaeological ResearchNewgrange Winter Solstice DrawSean Scully Exhibition at National GalleryNational Library Online Genealogy

8 Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme9 Mellifont abbey - Medieval Monastery

12 the Secret Garden at Fota house14 national heritage week16 newmills Corn and Flax Mills18 RtÉ's Magical Sites Series20 Lough Corrib Logboats22 wellington testimonial at Phoenix Park25 Inis Mór Monuments28 Skellig Michael Monastic Site30 derrynane house & national historic Park32 architectural heritage of County donegal

34 Portumna Castle and Gardens37 Irish Quilters Showcase Exhibition38 EvEntS GuIdE

Charles Fort Heritage Week EventsBoyne Valley Heritage Week EventsHill of Tara Lecture SeriesCraft in Action Exhibition at Brú na BóinneTrinity's College Gallery: Swing of the 60s ExhibitionDublin Castle Special Art Tour

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Welcome to the second edition of Heritage Ireland, acollaboration between the Office of Public Works and the

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, bringing you newsand features on Ireland's wonderful heritage sites and culturalinstitutions.Summer has finally arrived and so begins a busy season for our heritagesites and cultural institutions. At the end of August, we are expecting over400,000 people to participate in over 1,800 heritage events being organisedas part of National Heritage Week. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity toget involved, or to plan a visit to a variety of heritage sites around thecountry that have opened their doors over the summer months. To help youto decide where to go, we have features on a selection of heritage sitesacross the country, including Mellifont Abbey, Co. Louth, DanielO’Connell’s house at Derrynane, Co. Kerry, Portumna Castle, Co. Galway,Newmills Corn and Flax Mills, Co. Donegal, as well as the WellingtonTestimonial in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

We can also look forward to a new television series on RTÉjr next autumnthat will bring Ireland’s national monuments to a new generation, and wehave a sneak preview of some of the events being organised for 2016 as partof commemorating the centenary of the Easter Rising.

We hope you enjoy learning about our past through the wonderful historicsites and events all over the country. Please visit our websites atwww.heritageireland.ie and www.ahg.gov.ie for more information aboutour heritage sites and cultural institutions.

Top: Knowth Megalithic Passage Tomb at Brú na BóinnePhoto © Tourism Ireland

Below: Neolithic bowl, circa 3500 BC

www.heritageireland.ie 3

welcome


ContributorsLINDSEY ILONA BRADY has workedwith the OPW as a seasonal guidefor 8 years. She is an artist and teacher andworks at Old Mellifont Abbey andNewgrange. She has a particular interest inMedieval history.

KARL BRADY is an archaeologistworking in the UnderwaterArchaeology Unit of the NationalMonuments Service. Karl haspublished a number of articles onearly maps, medieval ship graffiti,early medieval ecclesiasticalremains and shipwrecks and hasalso published two books onshipwrecks entitled The ShipwreckInventory of Ireland: Louth, Meath,Dublin & Wicklow in 2008 andWarships, U-boats & Liners: A Guide to Shipwrecks Mapped inIrish Waters in 2012.

ADRIAN CORCORAN is SupervisorGuide in the Kerry region withresponsibility for the guide service atDerrynane House, Ross Castle,Ardfert Cathedral, Garinish Islandand Skellig Michael. He has many years experience with the Office ofPublic Works having previouslyworked at the Rock of Cashel andClonmacnoise. He is a graduate ofHistory and Old and Middle Irish fromNUI Maynooth.

CILLIAN DE GRÁS is the SupervisorGuide at Dún Aonghasa and Teachan Phiarsaigh, Ros Muc. He studiedHistory and Medieval & CelticStudies at Maynooth University andTrinity College, Dublin. He previouslyworked at the National Museum ofIreland, The Hunt Museum andCastletown House, and haspublished articles on medievalhistory and literature. Cillian iscurrently researching Patrick Pearse'slinks with Conamara, in preparationfor a new visitors centre to beopened in summer 2016. He lives onInis Mór, with his wife and baby.

JENNIFER McCREA specialises inaudience development andinterpretation in heritage and shefocuses on creating engagementopportunities for a broad range ofaudiences through rich and relevantvisitor experiences. Jennifer has overtwenty years’ experience ineducation programmedevelopment, volunteeringinitiatives, as well as training,development and planning in themuseums and heritage sector. Jennifer studied the History of Art atTrinity College, Dublin and holds anMA in Museum Studies from theUniversity of Leicester, where shemajored in interpretation.

EILÍSE McGUANE is an architecturalhistorian, specialising in thedocumentation of the historicenvironment. She has previouslytaken part in a number of NIAHsurveys of Dublin City and Co.Monaghan, and is currentlyemployed as an AssistantDesignation Adviser with HistoricEngland, assessing buildings,archaeological landscapes andparks and gardens for designation.

SEÁN McLOONE: As SupervisorGuide Seán McLoone manages fourNational Monument sites, DonegalCastle, Parke's Castle, New Mills andAn Grianán of Aileach. Seán derivesgreat job satisfaction from his role,working with excellent guide teams,Visitor Services and Depotcolleagues dedicated to ensuringthat visitors to OPW sites receiveexcellent customer care and enjoytheir visit. This is reflected in the verypositive feedback he and his teamreceive. Having a keen interest inIrish history Seán has obtained aCertificate in Humanities from theOpen University and intendsundertaking a Diploma in Heritagelater this year.

MARIE GIBBS: Supervisor Guidebased in Portumna Castle &Gardens with responsibility for threesites, Portumna, Aughnanure Castle,Oughterard and Athenry Castle, Co.Galway. Marie started working forthe OPW in 1994 and has remainedenthusiastic about being part of theinterpretation of these interestingand important sites. Each site has itsown individual history while beingpart of a time line of the history ofIrish Architecture and the socialhistory of the West of Ireland.

Editorial Team: Chris Corlett, Michael Loughran, Brian O'Brien, Robert Corrigan andNoreen Finnegan.

Layout & Design: Sinéad Mallee


NEW GRANTSCHEME FOR ARCHAEOLOGICALRESEARCH ONWORLD HERITAGESITES

On the 22nd of May 2015, the Ministerfor arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht,

heather humphreys td, announced she isproviding €13,000 to the Royal Irishacademy (RIa) for archaeological researchon existing world heritage Sites and siteson Ireland’s tentative List for future worldheritage accreditation by unESCO.

The allocation will be used to fund a newgrants scheme for archaeologists and will beadministered by the RIA’s Standing Committeefor Archaeology.

Announcing the new grant scheme MinisterHumphreys said:

“UNSECO World Heritage Sites are deemedto have special cultural significance, and ofcourse the UNSECO accreditation can greatlyhelp to boost tourism. I am providing this smallfunding allocation to support research on ourexisting World Heritage Sites and the sites onIreland’s Tentative List for future WorldHeritage accreditation by UNESCO.

“The new research grant will help in themanagement of the archaeology within the coreareas of these internationally important sitesand to maintain and, where possible, enhancetheir Outstanding Universal Value.

“As part of the finished survey work, acatalogue of sites will be provided to theNational Monuments Service in myDepartment. This will allow the NMS toupdate their records and to extend theprotections of the National Monuments Acts toany new finds.

“I hope this grant will make it easier toproduce the research needed to help Ireland’sbid to add more sites to UNESCO’s WorldHeritage list and to retain the status of ourexisting World Heritage sites.”

NEWS What’s Happening

CHRISTY BROWN ARCHIVE ON VIEW AT LITTLE MUSEUM OF DUBLIN

The exhibition ‘Dear Christy: The Christy Brown Collection’opened in the Little Museum of Dublin on April 30th. It

features Christy Brown’s personal archive, which was jointlypurchased by the National Library of Ireland and the LittleMuseum of Dublin at auction in London in 2014.

The archive includes many unique, previously unseen artefacts,including childhood mementos, unpublished poetry, nude sketches,a letter to Katriona Maguire (née Delahunt) declaring Brown’sambition to become an artist, his passport and a letter from JohnBanville describing Down All The Days as “perhaps the best Irish novelsince Ulysses.” Intimate, humorous and moving, the collection is aunique record of the life and work of this world-famous artist andwriter. Christy Brown is remembered by many people as thecharacter played by Daniel Day-Lewis in the Oscar-winning filmMy Left Foot. But the complexities of his life, together with hisstruggle to be understood – and taken seriously – have onlyrecently come to light. Those complexities are explored in thisbrilliant new exhibition at the Little Museum. “We are proud to beexhibiting this extraordinary collection,” says curator SimonO’Connor, “as it celebrates the life of a truly inspirational Dubliner.”

The show explores the struggles of Brown and the ways thatpeople around him inspired him to create his paintings, a classicmemoir, four novels and four collections of poetry – using only hisleft foot. The exhibition runs until 2nd August 2015 in The IrelandFunds Gallery at the Little Museum of Dublin, 15 St. Stephen’sGreen, Dublin 2. www.littlemuseum.ie


All access to the chamber is decided bylottery. However, everyone else iswelcome to come and stand on theoutside of the monument.

Sunrise on the shortest days of theyear is at 8.58am. The Office of PublicWorks opens the monument for dawnfrom December 18th until December23rd inclusive. Admission on thosemornings is free of charge.

Professor O’Kelly rediscovered theroof box at Newgrange duringexcavations. It is a small opening abovethe entrance that had been blocked upbefore he started work on the site. Hefound that the Neolithic builders of themonument had placed the roof box sothat sunlight could enter the chamberat dawn at the Winter Solstice.

On December 21st, 1967, he was thefirst person in millennia to see thelight of the rising sun illuminate theinner chamber of the 5,000-year-oldtomb.

He recorded; “the effect is verydramatic as the direct light of the sunbrightens and cast a glow of light allover the chamber. I can see parts of theroof and a reflected light shines right

back into the back of the endchamber.”

Almost fifty years later, the WinterSolstice at Newgrange is a huge event.It attracts attention from all over theworld.

Most of the application forms to bein the chamber for dawn are filled outby visitors after they have visited thesite and before they leave the VisitorCentre. Many people from overseasalso apply by e-mail writing to us [email protected] with theirdetails.

The draw for places at Newgrangefor the Solstice takes place at the endof September. Children from threelocal schools choose the winningapplicants. They are from Donore NS,Slane NS and Knockcommon NS.

Fifty names are drawn, and each ofthose fifty people is invited along witha guest to attend on a specific morning.There are ten lottery winners and theirguests in the chamber on each of themornings. Some additional names arealso drawn and placed on a reserve list.The reserve list is there in casesomeone whose name is drawn for theinitial list is not contactable or elsefinds it impossible to travel toNewgrange on the date they have beenassigned.

For Solstice 2014, lottery winnerstravelled from as far away as Californiaand Chile. There is no guarantee that

there will be sunlight in the chamber onany of the mornings, so travelling toNewgrange for Solstice dawn is a greatact of faith. Despite the fact that wedon't always have clear skies, visitorsalways say that it was still worth theirwhile to be there.

There are very few events that wecan share with people who lived so longago. Standing on a hill in Co. Meathwaiting for the sun to rise after thelongest nights of the year is a specialone.


NEWGRANGEWinter Solstice Draw

There were 30,532 applicationsfrom the public to be at

Newgrange for Dawn duringWinter Solstice 2014.

Top: Evening Sun at NewgrangePhoto © Tourism Ireland

Above: 2006 Winter Solstice © Alan Betson Irish Times Photographer.


SEAN SCULLY AT THE NATIONALGALLERY OFIRELAND

Sean Scully at the national Gallery of Ireland marksthe artist’s 70th birthday. Born in dublin, Scully, now

living and working in new York, retains a powerfulsense of Irish identity. he moved to new York at the endof the 1970s and established himself as one of the leadingabstract painters of his time.

Responding to minimal art of the 1960s and 1970s, Scullyhas always striven to associate emotions and phenomena ofthe world intohis art,resistingformalismwhilerigorouslyreducing themeans heemploys – areduced paletteof colours andrestrictinghimself topatterns ofvertical andhorizontalstripes. Scullyhas alwaysmanaged tointroduceextraordinaryvariety into hispaintings, while their titles often hint at associations with hislife or surroundings.

This exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland chartsthe two decades, the 1980s and 1990s and juxtaposespaintings from that period with works, principally multi-partphotographic sequences, made over the past decade. Theexhibition brings together a group of major paintings on loanfrom Tate, Arts Council England, Irish Museum of ModernArt, Kerlin Gallery, as well as works on paper from a privatecollection. It also features a single recent ‘window’ painting asa response to the earlier ‘White Window’, and a newphotographic work in ten parts.

9 May – 20 September 2015Millennium Wing – Admission free


NATIONAL LIBRARY OFIRELAND ANNOUNCESLAUNCH DATE FOR NEWONLINE GENEALOGYRESOURCE

––––––––––––––––––––Almost 400,000 images of

Catholic parish register microfilms to be available online for free

from 8th July 2015––––––––––––––––––––The entire collection of Catholic parish register

microfilms held by the national Library ofIreland (nLI) will be made available online – for free– from 8th July 2015 onwards. On that date, adedicated website will go live, with over 390,000digital images of the microfilm reels on which theparish registers are recorded.

The NLI’s Ciara Kerrigan, who is managing thedigitisation of the parish registers, said: “This is the mostsignificant ever genealogy project in the history of theNLI. The microfilms have been available to visitors to theNLI since the 1970s. However, their digitisation meansthat, for the first time, anyone who likes will be able toaccess these registers without having to travel to Dublin.”

The parish register records are considered the singlemost important source of information on Irish familyhistory prior to the 1901 Census. Dating from the 1740sto the 1880s, they cover 1,091 parishes throughout theisland of Ireland, and consist primarily of baptismal andmarriage records. Typically, the parish registers includeinformation such as the dates of baptisms and marriages,and the names of the key people involved, includinggodparents or witnesses.

Sean Scully. Photograph courtesy of Sean Scully Studio, New York


IRELAND 2016 CENTENARYPROGRAMME

Clár Comórtha Céad Bliain

The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme waslaunched on 31st March 2015. The programme is

an invitation to everyone on the island of Ireland andto the global Irish community to shape and engage in adiverse range of historical, cultural and artisticactivities – all designed to facilitate reflection,commemoration, celebration, debate and analysis andan active imagining of our future.

The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme is built onseven programme strands:

State Ceremonial - Over forty State Ceremonialevents will take place, focused on

remembering and honouring those who took part inthe Easter Rising and those who gave their lives.The State Ceremonial Programme opens on 1st

August 2015 with a State commemoration of thefuneral of O'Donovan Rossa in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Historical Reflection – A range of history-basedactivities and initiatives, designed to deepen

and broaden our understanding of the events of1916 and of that pivotal period in our history.

An Teanga Bheo – An Teanga Bheo offers Irishcitizens, the global Irish family and friends of

Ireland from all over the world, the opportunity to joinus in reflecting on the central place of the Irish languagein the ideals of the Revolutionary Generation and incelebrating the language through a diverse programmeof events.

Youth and Imagination – Placing children andyoung people at the centre of the centenary

programme and integrating historical exploration with arange of imaginative activities. Planned initiativesinclude:

• Proclamation for a New Generation: An ‘actionlearning’ project which will invite all primary andpost-primary schools to write their ownproclamation for 2016.

• The 1916 Ancestry Project will invite all primaryand post primary pupils to trace a family tree backto 1916.

• Proclamation Day 2016 will take place in alleducational institutions on 15th March 2016,including pre-schools, schools, further and highereducation institutions. The day will start with theraising of the flag followed by a reading of theProclamation.

Cultural Expression – Working with our creativecommunity, our National Cultural Institutions and

other arts organisations to reflect on our past, ourpresent and our future, with a focus on 1916.

Community Participation –Local authorities arecurrently consulting widely with local interest

groups, historical societies, community organisations,and other stakeholders in relation to possible initiativesand the development of county plans of locally basedevents and activities to commemorate the centenary ofthe 1916 Easter Rising.

Global and Diaspora – Ireland’s Embassies andConsulates are engaging with the Irish Diaspora and

local communities across the world to ensure globalparticipation in commemorations and celebrations tomark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

Further information on the projects andevents planned for 2016 can be found on thewebsite www.ireland.ie

Irish Republic flag thatwas raised over theGPO on O’ConnellStreet in Dublin duringthe 1916 Rising,currently on display atthe National Museumof Ireland, ColinsBarracks.

GPO 1916 © Keogh Photographic Collection, National Library of Ireland

GPO 1916 © Keogh Photographic Collection, National Library of Ireland

The Most Powerful andInfluential Monasteryin Medieval Ireland�Lindsey Ilona Brady tells the story of Old Mellifont Abbey.

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Nestled on the eastern bank ofthe tranquil Mattock river in

County Louth, the ruins of OldMellifont Abbey stand as testamentto what was once the most powerfuland influential monastery inmedieval Ireland. Founded in 1142by St. Malachy of Armagh, on landsgranted by O’Cearbhaill, the localking of Airghialla (Oriel), Mellifontwas the first Abbey belonging to theCistercian order founded in Ireland.The arrival of the Cistercian monksheralded a new wave of Europeanmonasticism which over timereplaced the earlier Celtic traditionthat had previously flourished forcenturies.

Following the ideals of St. Benedict’srule (poverty, chastity and obedience)the Cistercians lived “in a spot farremoved from the noise and bustle ofthe world”. They developed as a reformorder from the Benedictine monks in1098 and spread quite rapidlythroughout France and Europe underthe auspices of St. Bernard, the Abbotof Clairvaux. Clairvaux was Mellifont’smother-house. The Cistercians becamerenowned for their organisational skillsand agricultural knowledge, which ledthem to become excellent farmers andland managers. This acclaim led themto receive over 50,000 acres ofsurrounding land in counties Meathand Louth through patronage, donatedby local chieftains, kings and Anglo-Norman lords. The legacy of their“grange” system of land division has

today given title to one of the mostcelebrated sites in Ireland, Newgrangepassage tomb.

The legacy of theCistercian's grange system

of land division gaveNewgrange its name

Cistercian architecture is consideredto be one of the most beautiful styles ofmedieval design. Its “pure” unadornedappearance compliments the simple“Ora et Labora” (prayer and manualwork) mantra of daily monastic life.Although the remains of Mellifont arequite fragmentary, the outlines of thechurch and domestic buildings can beseen. Two buildings remain largelyintact today, the thirteenth centuryearly English Gothic chapter house andthe octagonal Romanesque lavabo. The

lavabo is the unique architecturalfeature of Mellifont, the only one to bebuilt in Ireland. It stood as a medievalwashroom that originally contained afountain used for both physical andspiritual cleansing. It is from thisfountain that Mellifont or Melli-Fons(honey fountain) derives its name.

The lavabo contained afountain used for bothphysical and spiritual

cleansing and was the onlyone to be built in Ireland�

Over the course of its monastic lifeMellifont became the founding houseof over twenty affiliated “daughter”monasteries, including BaltinglassAbbey in Co. Wicklow, Bective Abbeyin Co. Meath and Boyle Abbey in Co.Roscommon. Its fortunes waxed andwaned for 397 years until it wassurrendered to the British crown at thedissolution of the monasteries by KingHenry the VIII of England. On the 23rdJuly 1539 it was valued at £352.3s.10d,making it the wealthiest Cistercianhouse in Ireland after St. Mary's Abbeyin Dublin.

Following dissolution the propertyeventually passed to Sir Edward Moore.He distinguished himself in the army ofQueen Elizabeth I and was knighted in1579, whereupon the dissolved abbeyand lands of Mellifont were granted tohim in reward for his services. Heconverted the abbey buildings into afortified Tudor residence and the upperstorey extension of the lavabo stands as

The Octagonal Lavabo at Mellifont Abbey

Mellifont Abbey© Tourism Ireland

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a reminder of the Moore family'sarchitectural alterations. It wasEdward’s son Garrett that received thetitle of Earl of Drogheda in 1621 and,with Mellifont as his primaryresidence, his title carried down to thefour further generations of Mooresthat resided here.

In 1603, during Sir Garret Moore’stime at Mellifont, Hugh O’Neill, theEarl of Tyrone, submitted to LordDeputy Mountjoy after the Nine YearsWar. It was this submission and thesubsequent signing of the “Treaty ofMellifont” that was to forever changethe course of political history inIreland. The Treaty led to theconfiscation of Gaelic lands and thePlantation of Ulster after the “Flight ofthe Earls” in 1607.

During the Battle of the Boyne in1690 Mellifont was used as theheadquarters of King William ofOrange. Both the chapter house andlavabo were intact during this period.Today, they stand as monuments to theimmense history created within theirwalls.

Visiting the ruins of Old MellifontAbbey today it is easy to recall thewisdom of St. Aelred of Rievaux,“everywhere peace, everywhereserenity, and a marvellous freedomfrom the tumult of the world”.

Images, top left and centre: Lindsey at Old Mellifont Abbey withvisitors painting copies of originalMellifont floor tiles during HeritageWeek.Top right: Musicians entertain in the groundsduring Heritage Week.Below:Aerial photograph of ruins of Old Mellifont Abbey.

Most people who visit the walled victorian gardenat Fota house in Cork compare it to the story in

the much-loved novel The Secret Garden. Concealedbehind high walls few clues are given as to what ishidden within and as in the novel a rusty iron doorwas locked for decades: beyond it the garden layabandoned as ivy and brambles infiltrated the oncebeautifully ordered glasshouses and weeds chokedanything left in the beds. today Fota’s garden has beenreclaimed, thanks to the Irish heritage trust and itsteam of enthusiastic garden volunteers: neatness andorder once more prevail in this thriving hub ofactivity and productivity. the restoration and re-useof this enchanting space has not gone unnoticed and inapril the garden and trust volunteers were awarded aprestigious Europa nostra Cultural heritage award.

Fota’s garden restoration story started in 2007 whenthe Irish Heritage Trust took over the property and justlike the best novels it has a number of sub-plots thatmake it exceptional. Following the acquisition the Trustembarked upon a major programme of conservationwork on Fota House and the walled garden. Theconservation plan was conceived and managed by JohnO’Connor Architects and was carried out by a skilledteam of local craftsmen and joiners from Cobh.Supported by Fáilte Ireland and private donations theresult was of such a high-standard that the garden wasawarded an Irish Georgian Society Conservation awardin 2012.

‘Conserving the buildings is the easy bit’ says KevinBaird, CEO of the Trust. ‘What we really wanted for thegarden was to restore the heartbeat of the place – bringit back to life and make it useful.’ Not an easy task in theteeth of a recession you may think. However, as anyonewho has read The Secret Garden will understand, it is thepassion and enthusiasm of the people who care for andenjoy the garden that adds that magical heartbeat andthis is exactly what has happened at Fota. In 2012 asmall group of volunteers committed to work part timein the garden, their objective was to make use of thisbeautifully restored place to produce a range oforganically grown plants to sell to visitors and the caféin Fota House. The micro-business is now thriving andin line with the mission of the Trust to promote publicbenefit initiatives, a range of activities take place herethat demonstrates and promotes sustainable gardeningpractice. Many of these activities, such as water capturefrom the roofs of the glasshouses, composting and seedsaving, echo the practices of the canny Victoriangardeners who worked on estates such as this in the past.

The project has gone from strength to strength andthe volunteers’ pride in their achievement is justifiedand very evident. It has a greater benefit too.‘Volunteering for the Trust in a variety of roles not only

The Secret Garden atFotaHouseText by Jennifer McCrea

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gives the local community a voice in how Fota is run butit is good news in the long term for heritage,’ commentsBaird. He believes that the more people get involved inheritage and the more accessible it is to communities, themore they will care for and feel proud of heritage. Theresult leads to a more secure future for buildings,collections and gardens such as Fota’s.

This theory is proven at Fota. Today the garden ishumming with enthusiastic gardeners who love sharingthis wonderful place with their visitors. In addition thegarden is paying for itself; it also provides a unique venuefor community training and employment schemes andsupports the employment of a full time gardener. Thespace also adds another fascinating dimension to theinterpretation of the big house, demonstrating in a reallytangible way how the estate was run as a sustainableentity in the past. However the real success of the Fotagarden story - and this is very apparent when you visitthe garden- is the level of participation, camaraderie andsheer enjoyment displayed by the entire Fota team. It isfor these reasons that this unique initiative at Fota wassingled-out for such a significant award, a happy endingindeed. www.fotahouse.com

Images, opposite page:Flower border at Fota Walled Victorian Garden.An example of one of the glasshouses before restoration.Right:Anne, Sally, Edwina and Bea: volunteers at Fota pictured withFinola Reid who is a consultant on the Walled Garden project. Below:Fota’s glasshouses bursting with colour. The walled garden isopen for tours and plant sales. (Image Mary Carroll) Springtime at Fota House, Cork.

Images above:The same glasshouse a few monthslater: much of the original Victorianmaterials were salvaged during therestoration process.Transformed from its once parlousstate, this is one of the Fotaglasshouses today: beautifullyrestored and productive. (ImageJoleen Cronin)

RightOrganic salad crops grown in thegardens are served in Fota Housecafé (Image Joleen Cronin)

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It’s full steam ahead for nationalheritage week because this year

from 22 - 30 august, the heritageCouncil is inviting us to examineIreland’s past through the uniquebut often neglected perspective ofour industrial heritage.

Our shared industrial past is a storyof change, development and creativityand of the men and women who were apart of that story whether as millworker, dock worker or the proudowner of a motor car. Industrialheritage engages all of us and has left alegacy in the buildings, records andmemories of people across Ireland, alegacy that paved the way for how welive today. This National Heritage Weekwe are celebrating, sharing andenjoying aspects of this story.

On 22 August Lifetime Lab at OldCork Waterworks will run a “WaterHeritage Open Day”, a family fun daythemed on the industrial heritage ofCork’s Victorian Waterworks.Throughout the day the team atLifetime Lab will provide guided toursof the impressive engine and boilerrooms that offer an insight into theworking day of a waterworks employeeand map the role of water supply withthe growth of Cork City.

Athenry's Walled Towns Day on 23August is a free family fun event wherehistory comes alive. The event will beheld in various locations withinAthenry including Athenry HeritageCentre, Athenry Castle and AthenryPark. Experience a great day out in thebest preserved medieval town inIreland.

Leave the present at home and stepback in time as you enter Carlow TownPark. On 22 August experience thesights and sounds of prehistoric andmedieval Carlow and take guided toursof the town's streets. Discoverprehistoric pottery firing, stone toolmaking, smelting and music as well asmedieval weaponry and dress. Anumber of walking tours will also beled from the park focusing on thetowns medieval and post-medievalbuilt heritage.

Discover the past. Build the future.

Coordinated by

Aimsigh an t-am atá caite. Tóg an todhchaí.

Callsave1850 200 878

www.heritageweek.ie

The Heritage Council is the statutory body charged with identifying,protecting, preserving and enhancing Ireland’s National Heritage.Over the last 20 years, the Heritage Council has worked with a rangeof partners to establish a local heritage infrastructure that is basedon the vital connections between people and place. Such anapproach offers immense potential in terms of Ireland’sdevelopment and it is our ambition that the next 20 years will see thiswork continue to expand and engage communities across Ireland.

National Heritage Week giveseveryone the chance to discoverIreland’s industrial heritage. Fromharvesting flax and making linen inMonaghan to navigating the Boynecanal in Meath to taking a steam engineride in Laois, there is so much to seeand do.

This year National Heritage Week isexpecting over 400,000 people toparticipate in over 1,800 heritageevents organised by 1,000organisations, community groups,businesses and individuals. Events willinclude walks and talks, archaeologicaldigs, historical re-enactments,demonstrations, exhibitions, tours andworkshops.

Photographs –Left: Castlecomer Discovery Park,Co. Kilkenny.Below: Kilkenny Castle.Opposite page:1. Lifetime Lab, Old Cork Waterworks Steam Centre.2. The Stradbally Woodland Express,Co. Laois © Michael Scully.3. Athenry Walled Town Day.

Coordinated by:

CELEBRATING20 YEARS 1995-2015

Working for heritage | Working with communities

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Kilkenny Castle will host a numberof Heritage Week events including atalk on 27 August by Bettina Norton,OPW, about the Castlecomercoalmines, the connection with theButler family and the influence of themines and the Wandesforde family onthe economy.

Hundreds more events will takeplace during National Heritage Weekincluding many guided walks andtours. Local historians, geologists,academics and enthusiasts want toshow you around their towns and

villages, buildings and landscapes. Hearthe history, folklore, legends and talltales that shaped Ireland.

From magnificent buildings tostunning landscapes National HeritageWeek will open up some of Ireland’smost incredible places to the public.It’s a chance to get a new perspective ona well known site or discover a hiddengem.

National Heritage Week is also afantastic opportunity to shine a light onthe work of dedicated volunteers andtheir incredible community spirit. Ithighlights the abundance of great workthat is carried out in all communities inIreland to preserve and promote ournatural, built and cultural heritage.

Most events are available free ofcharge. That is because the primaryambition of National Heritage Week isto raise awareness of our heritage andmake it as accessible as possible.

National Heritage Week is a part ofEuropean Heritage Days, which iscelebrated in over 40 countries acrossEurope. In 2015, 23 countries agreed toshare a common theme to help raise theprofile and awareness of the value ofindustrial and design heritage to peopleacross Europe. Ireland will kick off thecelebrations which will roll out throughthe rest of Europe in autumn 2015.

Be Part of It!

National Heritage Week: 22-30 August 2015. For more information visitwww.heritageweek.ie or call 1850 200 878

The wheel is powered by water from the river Swilly whichis diverted a half mile upstream and directed to themillpond. The water is then carried along a headrace. Themiller could control the wheel by opening or closing a trapdoor in the headrace. This was operated by a metal leverwhich extended from the small window on the gable wall.In turn this lever operated the trap.

A kiln was used to dry the grain with a furnace which wasfuelled by mulled coal. This was used rather than turf asturf would flavour the grain. The grain was spread out onthe perforated metal floor to a depth of 6 inches where itwas turned and dried. When dried the grain was shovelleddown the chute to the bottom floor. The metal floor wasvery hot so the miller used wooden clogs to prevent himsticking to the floor.

Then the grain was sieved clean and winnowed through


Amill has existed at newmills since the 17thCentury while a flax and corn mill has

been located there as far back as the 1800s. In1892 Patrick Gallagher purchased the complexfrom william devine and so began theprofitable business that lasted until the deathof his son P.F. Gallagher in 1980. when Patrickbought the mill in 1892 the flax mill wasworking but the corn mill was not operating asa mill; it was used as a store only. Patrickrestored the corn mill and installed awaterwheel about 1907. this is one of thelargest working waterwheels in Ireland today.It is 25 feet in diameter and was made byStevenson's foundry at Strabane in 1867. thelocation of the wheel between manufacture in1867 and installation at newmills in 1907 is,however, a complete mystery.

Top image: Corn Mill interior view. All images © Government of Ireland National Monuments ServicePhotographic Unit

“THE METAL FLOOR WAS VERY HOT SO THE MILLER USED WOODEN CLOGS TO PREVENT HIM STICKING TO THE FLOOR.“

NEWMILLS CORN AND FLAX MILLS

Text: Sean McLoone

several shakers in the meal floor. Elevatorscontaining metal buckets took the grain up anddown through the system. At the shelling stonethe outer shell of the grain was removed, passingon to a fan where the outer chaff was blown off.Then the elevator brought the meal up to the topfloor where it was sieved and back down theelevator to the ground floor where it was bagged.

Sometimes the farmer could not afford to pay forthe milling work. In this case the miller wasallowed to mutter the grain, which means he heldback 10 lbs of grain from every hundredweightbag; he used this as payment for the milling work.

The flax mill was re-built in the early 1940s. P.F.Gallagher took advantage of grants offered by theDublin Linen Board which sought to increaselinen production for use as part of the war effortin the production of camp beds and parachutes.

Before the flax arrived at the mill it went througha process called wretting. This meant that the flaxwas picked from the fields (rather than cut) andwas gathered into bundles called beets. Thesebeets were placed in a large lint dam and coveredby slabs of stone. This process allowed the pectinin the flax to rot. After eight to ten days menwould go into the dams, maybe neck high inwater, and remove the beets which were then laidout to dry in a process called grassing. When theflax had dried it was brought to the mill.

The flax bundles were placed through rollers bytwo men, one of whom fed the flax through thebreaker while the other man tied the broken flaxinto bundles. The bundles then proceeded downto the scutchers on the floor below. They insertedthe flax into a series of rapidly rotating blades, avery dangerous process resulting in many injuries.In addition the dust generated was a health risk.The finished product from the scutching wasknown as live which went on to make very finelinen cloth. The scutchers were paid according tothe amount of live they produced.

The Office of Public Works has restoredNewmills to its former glory and today it is one ofthe finest examples of Industrial Heritage inIreland. Guided tours showing the mill machineryat work and an audio visual presentation areavailable to visitors. Entry to the site iscomplimentary.

www.heritageireland.ie/en/north-west/newmillscornandflaxmills/


Right: ‘The Scutchers’ exhibit at the Flax Mill.

Exterior view of Newmills Corn and Flax Mills,near Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

The Waterwheel at Newmills.

NEWMILLS CORN AND FLAX MILLS


the series ‘Magical Sites’ is forRtÉjr and will introduce

Ireland’s national monuments toyoungsters aged up to 7 years old -and their families. Using acombination of visuals, sounds, musicand drama in an age-appropriate way,the young viewers will discover thetopography, structures and history of15 key heritage sites. Sheila de Courcy,Controller RTÉjr, is committed toexploring and reflecting the world inwhich youngsters in Ireland aregrowing up on the RTÉjr channel:“Throughout the country, sometimes in themost unexpected places, you come acrosstraces of Ireland’s rich history andarchaeology. We want to introduce ouryoung audiences to the excitement thatcomes with discovery of ancient sites and

with the stories that they hold.” She agreedan initial list of sites with the series’Executive Producer, Stephen Plunkett,who like de Courcy studiedarchaeology.

The two took a careful look at a longlist of possible locations and in the end15 sites were chosen from around thecountry. These range from megalithictombs of the Neolithic period tomedieval churches and castles.According to Plunkett “we could haverun the gamut of sites but, for a first series,we thought it best to explore a wide varietyof places which the public will locate andenjoy quite easily, keeping in mind themyriad possibilities for further discovery ata later stage.” And so this series proposesto introduce small children to Neolithic

and megalithic sites, Early ChristianEra settlements and medievalmonasteries and castles – and thenatural landscapes in which they occur.Many small children will not have hadthe opportunity to visit actualmonuments in person so we propose tointroduce these places to a newgeneration and also give them a glimpseof the original purpose of themonument.

Geraldine Creed is the director ofthe series: “Every time you go to visit aheritage site it’ll be magical. You’ll reallyimagine the world of the people who livedbefore us coming alive. That’s what theseries is all about.”

Archaeological/historical materiallike this has never before been

A brand new TV series,

‘Magical Sites’, about Irish

archaeology for a young audience

began filming on May 11th, 2015

Magical Sites

Text & Photographs RTÉ

19

presented in this entirely child-centredway on television. In each programme agroup of children explore a nationalmonument, often on their own. We seethe monument and its geographicalsetting through their eyes. Because thisaudience learns through stories, eachprogramme includes a short dramaticreconstruction illustrating some aspectof life as lived in the monument when itwas originally built. For writer DeeRoycroft, this meant finding a storywhich small children could connectwith and which was unique to each site:“We are so lucky in Ireland, our history isliterally embedded in the landscape. Eachepisode shows how children might interactwith these sites; explore them, touch thestones, examine the carvings. And each onealso has a moment of ‘what if?’ at its heart.What if this place came to life? Whatwould you see? Who would you meet?”

One of the very exciting elementsthe team has uncovered is the pride thatlocal children take in their history andheritage. Accordingly, children fromlocal schools and neighbourhoods willbe taking part in the programmes andhave entered into the filming processwith great enthusiasm and a heightenedawareness of the wealth of thearchaeology all around them. ‘MagicalSites’ has been devised to meet theabilities, needs and interests of childrenaged under 7 and everything in theseries will be age-appropriate and toldfrom a child’s point of view. Thelearning points will provide aspringboard for further exploration ofthe sites with parents, guardians,friends, older siblings. The series willhave the support of the multi-award-winning RTÉ Young People’sproduction unit, which makes severalhundred hours of programmes everyyear, and it will also feature on theRTÉjr website and mobile app, therebyreaching the widest possible audience.This is a very fresh, brave approach tothe subject of archaeological heritageand it will offer something genuinelynew and approachable for very youngaudiences. Throughout the planningstages the OPW has been very aware ofthe project’s potential to reach thepublic in a new way and has beensupportive of the project from the start.

‘Magical Sites’ will bebroadcast on RtÉjr inthe autumn when it willalso be available on thefree RtÉjr app and theRtÉ Player. the series issupported by the ‘Sound& vision Fund’ of theBroadcasting authorityof Ireland (BaI).

Images: Filming at Threecastles,Monasterboice, Trim Castle andLoughcrew.

20

Lough Corrib is renowned for its salmonand trout fisheries, its beautiful sceneryand the impressive range of ecclesiasticalsites, ancient forts and castles that dot itsislands and shorelines. In recent years, a new dimension can beadded to our appreciation of the lough with the discovery of a large number ofwell-preserved logboats beneath itssometimes placid waters, providingvaluable new insights into the use anddevelopment of watercraft in Ireland overseveral millennia while also highlightingthe rich archaeological potential of ourinland waterways, and lakes in particular.

Lough Corrib LogboatsText by Karl Brady


the logboats came to light as aresult of hydrographic surveys

undertaken by Trevor Northage, amarine surveyor who has beenmapping Lough Corrib since 2008with the intention of updating themid-nineteenth century hydrographiccharts of the lake. The side-scan sonardata collected during the surveys hasalso revealed a large number of newlydiscovered logboats and wreck sites.

To date the UnderwaterArchaeology Unit of the Departmentof Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht hasdived and investigated 14 logboats onthe lakebed of Lough Corrib, rangingin date from c. 2,500 BC to the 12thcentury AD. A wide range of logboatforms are represented indicating bothtechnological advancement in boatconstruction techniques over time butalso that the boats were used for avariety of activities. Here we highlightone of the logboats from LoughCorrib, found at Carrowmoreknock.

The Carrowmoreknock logboat isone of the most impressive logboatfinds from Lough Corrib and arguablyeven from all of Ireland. The level ofpreservation of the boat, the presenceof well-preserved artefacts on board,

along with the beautifully craftednature of the vessel itself makes this aunique and extraordinary find andwould appear to represent a highstatus vessel that dates to the 11thcentury AD. The 6m long logboat isvirtually intact with features whichhave not generally survived onpreviously discovered logboats, i.e.four intact seats and remains oftwo sockets in the gunwale toreceive a pin to provide a pivot foran oar. The presence ofseats, thole pin holes andtwo fragments of oarsillustrate clearly that thisboat was rowed ratherthan paddled.

Within the boat, some ofthe original cargo andbelongings of the occupantsor crew were also found,including three Viking stylebattle-axes with cherry woodhandles still intact. An iron workaxe, two iron spears, two oarfragments, a fossil rich stone and acarved red sandstone slab were alsofound in or around the boat. The redsandstone slab has the appearance of arough out for a grave slab, or maybe itwas planned to use it as a decorativeor architectural feature on a stonechurch and it’s likely that it was beingtransported to one of many nearbyecclesiastical sites, like Inchagoill,which are located around the lake.

The overall design of the boat andpresence of weapons on boardillustrates that it was not normallyused as a cargo, fishing or ferry boatand with a full crew of four oarsmenand a helmsman there would havebeen very little space for cargo oradditional passengers. It’s possible thatthe boat belonged to a high statusindividual such as an importantecclesiastical figure, a local chieftain orone of the ruling elite with his warriorcrew or a patron of the church giftinga stone slab to one of the localchurches. It’s also possible that suchboats doubled up as a raiding boat or awar canoe, manned by well-equippedwarriors who could move quicklyaround the Lough to patrol boatingmovement on the lake, exercisepolitical control or carry out some ofthe numerous raids and navalengagements on Lough Corrib whichare referred to often in the annals.Viking raids from Limerick are

documented for the 10th Century,followed by internecine strife andwarfare on the lake between theO’Connors and the O’Flaherty’s in the11th century.

The three Viking style battle axesdiscovered at Carrowmoreknock arepresently on display at the NationalMuseum of Ireland (Archaeology),Kildare Street, Dublin.

AcknowledgementsThe author wishes to thank

Fionnbarr Moore and ConnieKelleher for their advice, support andassistance during the dive projectsand for commenting on the text.Thanks must also be given to thededicated dive team including RexBangerter, Nigel Kelleher, EoghanKieran, Jimmy Lenehan, Rob Marson;Julianna O’Donoghue, ClaireKavanagh, Sandra Henry, AislingCollins, Cathal Twomey, RoryMcNeary, & Donal Boland. Thanksalso to Trevor Northage, AnnleeFoster, Zara Brady and the staff ofthe National Museum of Ireland forassistance during the dive projects.

Image: Iron axeheads, Clydagh, Lough Corrib,Co. Galway. © National Museum of Ireland Photographic Department.

Images: Carrowmoreknock Logboats


the wellington testimonial is dedicated toarthur wellesley (1769-1852), first duke of

wellington, an anglo-Irish soldier and statesman,and one of the leading military and politicalfigures of 19th century Britain. wellesley was bornat Mornington house in Merrion Square, dublin,fourth son of the first Earl of Mornington. hespent much of his childhood at his ancestral homeat dangan Castle in Co Meath, attending school intrim prior to his enrolment at Eton. wellesleybegan his military career in 1787, and wasappointed a colonel by 1796, serving in thenetherlands and India. wellesley rose toprominence as General at the Battle of vittoria inJune 1813, defeating the French army, andeventually leading the allied powers of Spain,Britain and Portugal to victory in the Peninsularwar (1807-14). wellesley was awarded the title offirst duke of wellington in 1814 and went on tolead the victorious anglo-allied forces at the Battleof waterloo on 18 June 1815. the Battle ofwaterloo is seen as a defining moment inEuropean history. wellington held a number ofillustrious political positions, including the role ofPrime Minister of the united Kingdom on twoseparate occasions.

Wellington TestimonialPhoenix Park, Dublin – 200 years after the Battle of Waterloo

Text by Eilíse McGuane

Top: Ink and wash drawings of the six shortlisteddesigns for the Wellington Testimonial.

Right: Wellington Testimonial, Phoenix Park, Dublin.

Following Wellington’s victory atthe Battle of Vittoria in June 1813, atestimonial committee was founded inDublin to initiate a public nationalmonument in Wellington’s honour, inorder that he might ‘enjoy thegratitude and applause of hiscontemporaries’. A committee was setup to decide the design and site of theproposed testimonial, which wasestimated would cost around £20,000.A competition was organised, andmodels were made of six short-listeddesigns on a uniform scale, andexhibited at the end of 1814 at theDublin Society’s premises at HawkinsStreet. The selected designs includedtwo obelisks (by Thomas Hamiltonand Robert Smirke), three columns (aDoric column by James Wyatt, and twoCorinthian columns by Wilkins andBowden) and a rotunda by Dr Hill.

Robert Smirke (1780 – 1867), anEnglish architect who became one ofthe leaders of the Greek Revival style,was awarded the commission inDecember 1815 for his winning designof a massive obelisk, intended to be220ft in height, which comprisedsloping steps (20ft in height), a pedestal(37ft), and a tapered column (163ft).The pedestal was intended to have bas-reliefs on three of its four elevations,


and an equestrian statue of Wellingtonflanked by guardian lions to its otherelevation.

Obelisks were a particularly popularform of public monument in the early-19th century, following the surge ofinterest in ancient Egyptianarchaeology in the late-18th century.Napoleon’s army carried out animpressive scheme of excavationsduring his Egyptian campaign in 1798-

1801, and laid the foundations for thestudy of modern Egyptology. It isunknown whether Wellington wasconsulted on the design of the Dublinmonument, but he may have had apersonal affection for the obelisk form,owing to the time he spent as a child atDangan Castle in Co Meath, where theestate featured a number of obelisksand other follies.

Above: Mornington House, Merrion Street(No. 24), the reputed birthplace of ArthurWellesley in 1769.

Top right: The three name plaques on theWellington Testimonial: India (top), Waterloo(middle), Duke’s Service to Civil andReligious Liberty (bottom).

Above left: Obelisk on the Dangan estate, which apparently once boasted 25 obelisks and over 100structures and follies, including grottos, toy forts, ponds, model boats, and ornamental canals. Thisobelisk is almost 45ft in height (13.5 metres) and was restored as part of the Department of Arts,Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s Built Heritage Job Leverage Scheme in 2014.

Above right: Wellington Monument, Trim, Co. Meath. The cut stone pedestal with Corinthian columnis surmounted by a statue of the Duke of Wellington It was designd by a local man, James Bel (1794-1872) while the statue was carved by the Cork-born sculptor Thomas Kirk (1781-1845).


A number of locations wereproposed for the testimonial,including St Stephen’s Green, theground between the RoyalBarracks and the river, theRotunda Gardens, MountjoySquare, St James’ Market, andMerrion Square. It was chosen toerect the obelisk near the BatterySalute area of the Phoenix Park,due to its elevation, whichallowed visitors commandingviews of the city, and also viewsof the monument from the RoyalHospital at Kilmainham, wheremilitary personnel recuperatedafter the wars.

The contract to construct theDublin monument was awardedto Cockburn & Williams in 1817,and the foundation stone was laidon the 2nd anniversary of theBattle of Waterloo on June 18th1817. The stepped base, pedestal,obelisk and three statue pedestalswere completed by 1820. Most ofthe money raised was spent onthe masonry core and graniteashlar facing, leaving little ornothing for the proposed statuesand bas-reliefs proposed for threeelevations of the pedestal.Although the monument is anenormous height of 204ft (62metres), it was built some 16ft (5metres) shorter than intended.

The testimonial fund wasrevived in 1829, when Wellingtonpassed the Catholic Relief Actduring his term as PrimeMinister. Work was resumed onthe monument after Wellington’sdeath in 1857, and the pedestalswere removed. The bas-reliefs byJ R Kirk, Thomas Farrell and JohnHogan were unveiled in 1861, onthe 44th anniversary of the layingof the foundation stone. Thepanels measure almost 7ft (2.1metres) in height and 35ft (11.3metres) in width, and wereintended to be cast from themetal of a cannon captured atWaterloo, but were instead castfrom gun metal captured duringthe Napoleonic Wars. Theobelisk, which is faced inWicklow granite, carries thelocations of Wellington’s variousbattles on each elevation of itsshaft.

For a more detailed version ofthis article please see ‘Building ofthe Month’ ( June) onwww.buildingsofireland.ie

Top: Perspective sketch of the Wellington Testimonial by Robert Smirke (1780-1867), dated 1815.It depicts the obelisk and base set on a truncated pyramid of steps. The sketch includes anequestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback (facing the city) flanked by lowerpedestals surmounted with triumphal lions. The pedestals were constructed. However, due to lackof funding, the statuary was never created, and the pedestals were subsequently demolishedc. 1860. Reproduced courtesy of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA20512)

Below: Dangan Castle, near Trim, Co. Meath, seat of the Wellesley family, built c. 1750.

Wellington Testimonial


For as long as people have been living on theisland of Inis Mór, it has been a destination for

visitors. For prehistoric sailors it was a handy stop-off point on the journey up the west coast and a goodopportunity to trade some copper in exchange forhides and dried fish. In the Christian era the islandbecame a centre of learning, and prospective saintsflocked to St. Éanna's monastery to study with theholy man. In later years pilgrims followed in thesaints' footsteps, attracted by the promise of time offin purgatory and the forgiveness of their sins. For19th-century Romantics Inis Mór was an icon of'Irish' Ireland, an island untouched by modernity.

The most celebrated site on theisland is Dún Aonghasa. Perched onthe highest point of the southern cliffs,and close to the narrowest point of theisland, the ancient fort dominates itsenvirons. Whoever controlled DúnAonghasa could control not only theisland but the surrounding seas as well.Its massive ramparts would have beenan intimidating sight for any tradingship looking for access to Galway Baythat was foolish enough to try andavoid giving the islanders their slice ofthe action.

There are two stages in the historyof the fort. The earliest phase beginsaround 1100 BC when 14 acres wereenclosed by two massive stone walls.This was the late Bronze Age, a periodof increasing militarisation, whengiant forts were being constructed allover Ireland and weapons form amajor part of the archaeologicalrecord. Despite this, it was an age ofconspicuous consumption andelaborate jewellery in bronze, gold andamber was highly prized, not least in

Inis MórMonuments

Cillian de Grás tells tales of the monuments of Inis Mór

Images: Dún Eochla, Inis Mór and Dun Aonghasa © Raymond Fogarty

Dún Eochla

Dún Aonghasa


neighbouring Co. Clare where one ofthe highest concentrations of LateBronze Age jewellery has beendiscovered. Excavations at DúnAonghasa revealed stone moulds thatshow at least some of this jewellerywas produced on Inis Mór.

Archaeologists also discovered ahoard of hollow bronze rings, buriedclose to the cliff edge. This type of ringis unique to Ireland but their functionis unknown. Were they buried to keepthem safe? Or was their deposition anact of devotion, an offering to the godsof sea and sky, in whose domain DúnAonghasa was situated?

The second stage in the history ofthe fort begins c.800 AD when theancient walls were strengthened andadded to. Today the inner wall stands5m tall and almost 6m wide. Animpressive cheveaux de fris was added,a dense band of jagged, upright stones,

surrounding the fort from cliff to cliff,making Dún Aonghasa an even moreintimidating proposition for anywould-be invaders.

Even though Dún Aonghasa is themost famous site on the island InisMór has an incredible wealth ofarchaeology besides. There are threeother stone forts on the island, DúnEoghnachta in the west, Dún Eochla inthe middle and Dúchathair in the east.They date from the early medievalperiod and represent an incredibleinvestment of blood, sweat and tearsby their builders.

Then there are the medievalremains. Teaghlach Éinne is a churchon the site of St. Éanna's monastery.Nearby are the base of a round towerand the remains of a high cross,symbols of the site's past status andimportance. Perched on a ridgeoverlooking Cill Éinne harbour is

Teampall Bheanáin, said to be Europe'stiniest church. It was probably built inthe 10th century, perhaps to house theholy relics of Beanán, a contemporaryof St. Patrick's.

In Mainistir is found TeampallChiaráin, a foundation whichprospered for 1000 years until the 16thcentury. There are several cross-inscribed stones, one of which seemsto be an elaborate sundial. Localtradition says that any piece of fabricpassed through the hole in the top willcure sore limbs!

Perhaps the most important churchsite is Na Seacht dTeampaill, the sevenchurches, where St. Breacán is said tohave expelled a pagan deity and takenover his site. Today the graveyardcontains a variety of medievalbuildings, fragments of three high-crosses and a grave marked with a slabwhich reads 'VII Romani', said to be theresting place of Roman pilgrims to InisMór.

Nearby is Clochán na Carraige, aremarkable stone beehive hut, builtusing the same corbelling techniqueseen in Newgrange. This is said to havebeen temporary accommodation formedieval pilgrims visiting Na SeachtTeampall; therefore Clochán naCarraige may be the island's first B&B!

Caisleán Aircín stands testament tothe island's more recent history. Thecastle faces out onto Cill Éinneharbour, which was the island's mainport until the 19th century. It datesfrom A.D.1651 when Cromwell'svictorious forces took control ofGalway and stationed a force of 100men on the island to guard access tothe bay. Indeed even today the castle isknown locally as 'Ballaí Chromaill',Cromwell's walls. It was used as aprison for outlawed Catholic priestsfor a period in the 1650s, but wasrarely occupied after 1700.

“Teampall Bheanáin issaid to be Europe'stiniest Church”

“Na Seacht dTeampaill,where St. Breacán is saidto have expelled a pagandeity and taken over

his site”

Images: Dún Eochla (top), Teampall Bheanáin, 'Sun dial' in Teampall Chiaráin (above)


To increase awareness of these sites, the OPW has issued a new booklet featuring a clear, easy to read map withinteresting and accessible information about each site. Hopefully this new publication will encourage visitors to stray off thebeaten track and explore Inis Mór's hidden treasures.

Visit Ireland’s Heritage Sites for Free!

The Office of Public Works is pleased to announce that on the first Wednesday of every month

all OPW managed Heritage Sites will offer FREE ADMISSION to thepublic for the duration of their opening season.

A list of sites, and full details, can be found on: www.heritageireland.ie

on top of the North peak vividly demonstrating how themonks lived, worked and prayed in this most remote andseemingly inhospitable of locations.

During the visitor season (usually from Mid May to theend of September) OPW guides liveon the Island and, as well asproviding essential safetymanagement, they recount forvisitors the story of the Skelligfrom earliest times (about 1200BC) right up to the present,portraying the uniquehardships of living on theIsland and the devotion ofthe monks.

Visitors must, afterdisembarking at the Islands'single small pier, journey alongthe Lighthouse Road, the 19thcentury access around the foot ofthe Island which eventually leadsto the Commissioners of IrishLights Lighthouse at the south-western end of Skellig. About 10 -15 minutes from the pier, walkerscome to the small gathering area at


SKELLIGMICHAEL

Skellig Michael is one of Ireland's two World Heritage sites and is the stunninglocation for one of the most awe-inspiring and remote of the Monastic sites

managed by the National Monuments Service of the OPW.

Located 12 km out in the atlantic off the south-westKerry coast, the Skellig as it is known (and its sister

island the Little Skellig) are a favourite visitordestination and, despite their relative remoteness anddifficulties with access, attract more than 12,000visitors a year and many more sightseers whocircumnavigate them and view them from the sea.Skellig Michael, as well as being a national Monumentand a world heritage site, is also a SpecialConservation area for birds and is home to manyvarieties of seabirds; visitors to the Island can easilyview close up the thousands of puffins, guillemots,gannets and kittiwakes that inhabit the rocky cragsand crevices.

Access to the Skellig is only available by boat and anumber of local boatmen provide services to bring visitorsfrom Portmagee in Co. Kerry, the main point of departurefrom the mainland. The sea crossing can often be difficultand access is by no means guaranteed, as the seas in theIrish South-west are often quite rough and unpredictable.Those lucky visitors who make it, however, will berewarded with a unique glimpse of Ireland's most stunningmonastic hermitage, with its drystone beehive huts perched

Text by Frank Shalvey

the base of the South steps, one of thethree traditional points of access usedby monks to get to the monastery onthe main peak and the only oneaccessible to modern visitors. And itis here, after a final safety assessmentby guides, that the demanding climbto the monastery site begins.

Approximately 620 natural stonesteps, fashioned hundreds of years agoby the monks, lead upwards to themonument, switching sharply backand forth at various intervals as theroute winds its way up the steep slope.Along the way to the monastery,puffins, one of the main bird specieswho inhabit the Island, sit in closeproximity to the steps, looking oncalmly as the visitors make their wayever upwards. Visitors are constantlyastonished - and charmed - by how seeminglycalm these birds are in the presence of humans.The puffins present many opportunities forwonderful photographs as they sit on rocksclose to their nesting sites just off the steps, butvisitors need to take care as striving for abetter angle can sometimes lead the unwary tomiss their footing, which is never desirable atthese heights.

The safety of visitors to Skellig Michael is aparamount concern and a significant effort ismade to make them aware in advance of howto properly prepare for their time on theisland. The OPW have produced a safety filmwhich is widely available to view online (seewww.Heritage Ireland.ie/en/skelligmichael/ )and all people intending to make a trip areadvised to see this in advance and to thenlisten carefully to the guide's safety advice oncethey have actually journeyed to the site.

Because of the unique challenge involved inmanaging so many visitors to this location, theOPW have decided, during the 2015 season, tohost a special Workshop by the International VisitorSafety in the Countryside Group (see http://vscg.co.uk/)in June. The international participants, many comingfrom heritage organisations in the UK and Scotland, andan accompanying number of Irish organisations who aremembers of the Irish Chapter of VSCG, will visit theisland to study at first hand how the OPW deals withvisitor risk at Skellig Michael and how it manages thechallenges and hazards involved in working in such arugged terrain open to visitors. Skellig Michael has anunfortunate history in that there have been a number offatalities in recent years and even a relatively minor fall atthe site can result in potentially serious injuries because ofthe steep slopes and the heights involved.

Even though Skellig Michael remains one of the mostdifficult of OPW's Heritage sites to access, it remains -perhaps partly because of the challenge involved in gettingthere - a truly wonderful experience for visitors. It isdifficult, once you have made the crossing, not to be bothawestruck and moved by the story of the monks who, so manyhundreds of years ago, put aside their fears and came in theirsmall boats to make this their home. Visit Skellig Michael andyou will be left with a memory that you will cherish forever -Ireland's greatest island hermitage.


Images: Opposite page - A visit to the Monastery will entail a climbof 618 steps.

Top: Skellig Michael aerial view. © Department of Environment,Heritage and Local Government

Centre: Sixth Century Monastic Settlement © Raymond Fogarty.Above: Skellig Islands, 8 miles (12 km) off the coast of Portmagee

in South West Kerry.

“This is the wildest and moststupendous scenery of nature - andI enjoy my residence here with themost exquisite relish....I am in truthfascinated with this spot: and did notmy duty call me elsewhere, I shouldbury myself alive here'.

daniel O'Connell wrote thisendorsement of Derrynane in

1829. His love of his childhood homewas a constant pull for him throughouthis life and was forever in his thoughts.Derrynane had been a seat of theO'Connell family since 1702 whenCaptain John O'Connell acquired thelease of lands and built the first house.His son Dónal Mór established abusiness, trading by sea between Kerryand France and, given the remotelocation, was able to avoid custom dues.He extended the original house or added

the three storey house which wasdescribed as a 'fair new house' in 1756.The house and lands were laterinherited by Daniel's uncle Muiris nagCaipín [Hunting Cap] in 1770. Hecontinued to build up trade and addedfurther rooms to the original house,some still surviving. Daniel O'Connellhad been adopted by the childlessMuiris and Derrynane became hischildhood home. In 1825 Danielinherited Derrynane and made furtheralterations. He added the south wingcontaining a dining room, drawingroom, study and library. The mainentrance was altered and these roomsfaced the sea and were filled with light.

At the time Daniel inheritedDerrynane he was a barrister with animmense reputation and large practice,which he later largely gave up on hiselection to Parliament in 1829. He livedin Dublin with his family in fashionableMerrion Square but spent time eachyear in Derrynane. He becamepolitically active from as early as 1800when he vigorously opposed the Act ofUnion, whereby Dublin lost itsParliament to Westminster.

The early part of his political career

involved him in the campaign forCatholic emancipation, extending thesame political rights to Catholics as thoseenjoyed by members of the EstablishedChurch. As a hugely popular publicfigure, Daniel contested a bye-election inClare in 1828 but because he was aCatholic he could not take his seat. Thisgenerated much momentum whicheventually led to the passing of theEmancipation Act of 1829 and earnedO'Connell the sobriquet 'the Liberator'.When he took his seat in Parliament hewas in a position to follow his mainobjective - repeal of the Act of Union.

‘Daniel O'Connell was a leadingsupporter of the 1833 Act ofParliament which abolishedslavery in the British empire’

During his career he campaigned foruniversal male suffrage and was a leadingsupporter of the 1833 Act of Parliamentwhich abolished slavery in the BritishEmpire. He supported the AmericanAbolitionist movement, Jewishemancipation, reform of municipalgovernment and the abolition of tithes.In 1840 he founded the RepealAssociation and held a series of monster


DERRYNANE HOUSEand National Historic Park

Text by Adrian Corcoran

meetings calling for the Repeal of the Actof Union. Some meetings were attendedby several hundred thousand people andthe authorities took a dim view of them,eventually leading to O'Connell beingcharged with seditious conspiracyresulting in a sentence of three months inRichmond Prison in 1844. On his releasehe was taken on triumphal processionthrough Dublin on an ornamentalchariot.

In his latter years, he was increasinglyin conflict with the use of force inachieving the objectives of the Repealmovement. The rise of the YoungIrelanders marked the end of the Repealmovement. Daniel died in Genoa whileon pilgrimage to Rome in 1847 and hisbody was brought back to Ireland wherehe now rests in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Today Derrynane House has re-opened following major refurbishment.The works were part-funded by FáilteIreland and were designed and projectmanaged by the Office of Public Works.Phase one of the works concentrated onconservation and presentation of selectedartefacts and phase two on accessibility ofthe house and collections. The housecontains many artefacts associated withDaniel O'Connell and his family andincludes a family portrait collection andmuch original furniture. Four mainrooms are open to the public along witha new exhibition room, enhancedinterpretation and a coach housecontaining the chariot constructed for hisrelease from Richmond prison. Visitorscan visit the theatre with audio-visualpresentation and the tea room.

‘The grounds are a nature lover'sdream – trails, tidal flats,

arboretum and ocean – a gorgeousplace to spend the afternoon’

Derrynane is the ideal base forexploring the historic gardens, NationalPark and beaches. Captain JohnO'Connell did well in choosing hislocation as it is very well sheltered.Because of a micro-climate, winters aremild, allowing frost-sensitive trees andshrubs thrive. The gardens are extensiveand include plants from South America,as part of the National BotanicalCollection. There are many paths andtrails through the grounds and anotherfeature is the Summer House, whichDaniel O'Connell used for quiet studyand relaxation. Derrynane NationalHistoric Park includes 1.5 km ofshoreline and Abbey Island which isalmost 40 hectares in extent and can bereached on foot except at high tide. Theisland contains Ahamore Abbey wheremany of the O'Connell family are buried.Within the Park is an Ogham Stone, ringfort and Mass Rock.

Above: The summer house erected by O'Connellas a private retreat. The "pointed" profile of theopenings is rooted firmly in the Georgian Gothictrend and recalls the paper-thin Gothicism of thelibrary at Derrynane House. Courtesy of Dept. of the Environment, Heritageand Local Government Photographic Unit.

Below: (L-R) Brendan Griffin TD, Patrick O' Connor-Scarteen, Kerry County Councillorand Minister Simon Harris visit Adrian Corcoranat Derrynane House.


Silver platter bearing the inscription ‘To Daniel O’Connell from the Catholics

of the County of Wexford’

32

Architectural Heritage of County Donegal

the national Inventory of architecturalheritage survey of Co. donegal was

recently launched (17th of april) at GlenveaghCastle by Joe Mchugh td, Minister of State atthe dept. of arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The survey is published on the NIAH websitewww.buildingsofireland.ie and is accompanied bya publication An Introduction to the ArchitecturalHeritage of County Donegal. It is the 32nd book tobe published in the series. This book, covering thelength and breadth of the county, celebrates thehistorical and architectural legacy of Donegal. Thissurvey documents Donegal’s wide variety ofstructures - ranging from fine country houses, tothe many smaller structures that make up thestreetscapes of our towns and add character to therural countryside, including vernacular houses,bridges, mills, shopfronts, lime kilns, water pumpsand post boxes. Donegal has arguably the greatestconcentration and variety of surviving vernacularheritage of any county in the country. Thesebuildings were built of local materials by localcraftsmen; they respect the local topography andblend effortlessly into landscape and their style hasremained consistent for many centuries. Another highlight ofthe survey are the striking modern churches by local architect,the late Liam McCormick, the finest collection of their typeand date in the country.

At the launch, Minister McHugh emphasised the importantrole of the survey in assisting Donegal County Council in thefuture protection of the built heritage of their county. Headded:

Meenagory (c. 1820)(Left) Donegal has perhaps thegreatest surviving numbers ofvernacular houses of any county inIreland. This example near Buncranais one of the better survivingexamples. It is built on the direct-entryplan typical of the area, while the pegsto the eaves were used to secureropes over the rounded roof.

Newmills Corn Mill (c.1800)(Opposite page) Restored corn millnear Letterkenny that is now open tothe public. There is also a restoredflax mill to site; the combination ofcorn and flax mill to the same site is aphenomena mainly found in Ulster.

Opening Hours: 21st May - 30thSeptember. Daily 10.00 - 18.00.

‘If historic buildings are to survive as our legacy to futuregenerations, they will have to be adapted to cater for thechanging needs of their occupants. The challenge is to manage change without sacrificing theintrinsic character of the building’.

An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Donegal is available for sale (€12) online from www.wordwellbooks.com

Buncrana Castle (1718) (Above) The most important of the early country houses on Inishowen. It was built or rebuilt by GeorgeVaughan. Constructed in a rigid symmetrical plan with central breakfront, projecting end pavilions, and central scrolled pedimented doorcase.

Church of St Aengus (1965-7) (Below left) One of the influential modern churches built in Ireland. Its design is inspired by the Grianán ofAileach fort overlooking the site. It is one of seven churches in Donegal built to designs by Liam McCormick, who is considered the father ofmodern Irish church architecture.

Fanad Head Lighthouse(1886-7) (Above) Lighthouses areamong the most evocative ofall building types in Donegal.While functional in purpose,they often employ a simpleclassical language. This example was built todesigns by WilliamDouglass, best known for theFasnet Lighthouse off Cork.


Buncrana Castle (1718) (Above) The most important of the early country houses on Inishowen. It was built or rebuilt by GeorgeVaughan. Constructed in a rigid symmetrical plan with central breakfront, projecting end pavilions, and central scrolled pedimented doorcase.

Church of St Aengus (1965-7) (Below left) One of the influential modern churches built in Ireland. Its design is inspired by the Grianán ofAileach fort overlooking the site. It is one of seven churches in Donegal built to designs by Liam McCormick, who is considered the father ofmodern Irish church architecture.


PORTUMNA CASTLE© Mike Kennelly


Portumna Castle and demesne,which occupies a magnificent

location on the shores of Lough Dergon the River Shannon, cannot beprecisely dated but we do know it wascompleted sometime before 1618 at acost of ten thousand pounds. Thequestion has to be asked, why was ahouse of its size, splendour and grandsymmetrical setting built west of theShannon in the early seventeenthcentury, when there was nothing elsein Ireland to compare with it?Bernadette Cunningham's reply to thisquestion in 'Clanricard's Castle -Portumna House, Co. Galway', editedby Jane Fenlon, sets the context inwhich the erection of Portumna Castlebecame possible and desirable. Sheexplains its dual role “as the seat of thepresident of Connacht, that is to say asa seventeenth-century version ofgovernment house; and at the sametime the residence of one of theleading 'Old English' magnates”. MarkGirouard raises another importantpoint in the same book, that thestructure is “Irish and yet not Irish, acastle and yet not a castle, magnificentin scale and yet, compared to the greatJacobean palaces of England, relativelymodest in size, it was a building thatcalled out for explanations”.

Portumna Castle is one of the veryfew remaining semi-fortified JacobeanManor Houses in Ireland. Built byRichard de Burgo, fourth Earl ofClanricarde (1573—1635) and his wifeFrances Walsingham, countess of Essex(d.1632), it has often been compared toa French château. Richard and Francestravelled extensively, mixing easily inEuropean court circles, andincorporated into their English andIrish estates many Europeanarchitectural and horticulturalinfluences.

Portumna Castle's architecturalimportance lies in the fact that it was

PORTUMNA CASTLEAND GARDENS

Text by Marie Gibbs

The name Portumna is derived from the Gaelic‘Port Omna’ which can be interpreted as ‘the landing

place of the oak’ or 'port of the oak'. Settled early in the13th century by the powerful Anglo-Norman de Burgofamily because of its strategic position as a bridgingpoint across the River Shannon, Portumna developed

into a thriving settlement.

Top: Portumna Castle

Left: Ground floor exhibition at Portumna Castle

built during a transitional period inIrish architectural history – a step awayfrom the Irish tower houses ofmedieval times and moving towardsaesthetically pleasing manor houses ofthe Renaissance period. Medievallandlords placed greater store onprotection than on prestige. Medievaldefensive features are preserved in theGuard towers and firing holesthroughout the gardens, with the houseitself protected by machicolationsplaced centrally over the two entrancesand firing holes in the four cornertowers. But there the comparison endsas Portumna is essentially, as describedby Jane Fenlon, “a great, manywindowed and gabled house”, acountry mansion rather than a fortress.

The Irish de Burgos derive fromWilliam de Burgo, who came to Irelandwith Prince John in 1185. A descendantof William the Conqueror, he wasgranted a large fief of land stretchingbetween Limerick and Cashel. It washis son Richard, Lord of Connaught,who began the great infeudation ofConnaught, building towns such asGalway, Athenry, Loughrea and laterPortumna, which was settled byRichard the fourth Earl. Ulick, son ofRichard, lived in Portumna Castle andfor generations this was the main seatof the de Burgo family.

The castle had a relatively peacefulexistence until 1826 when an accidentalfire, which began in the basement,rampaged through the housedestroying almost everything. Thefamily, in due course, decided not to

restore the old style castle, but insteadbuilt a new manor house further intothe forest park. Following the fire andthe ravages of time the old castledegenerated into a roofless shell.

Since 1968, the Office of PublicWorks has carried out majorconservation works. The building hasbeen re-roofed and, based on extensiveongoing archaeological and historicalresearch, other major conservation andpartial restoration work, carried out bya team of skilled craftsmen, isproceeding in the Castle and the outercourtyards. The long-term objective isto preserve Portumna Castle for futuregenerations to appreciate and enjoy asone of the most important architecturaland historic houses in Ireland and oneof significance in terms of Europeanarchitectural heritage.

The ground floor of the building isnow open to the public and houses an

exhibition on the history of thebuilding and the de Burgo/Burkefamily.

The imposing façade of the castlefaces north and is approached by a longavenue and formal gardens. Thisdramatic approach has three formalenclosures with three axially alignedgateways. The enclosures containgeometric and regular plantings withadded topiary and an old shrub rosegarden which all help to re-create asense of the original 17th centurysetting. The recently restored 17thcentury walled kitchen garden followsthe original plan and has been plantedwith fruit, vegetables, herbs, trees andshrubs combining to make it a real treatto the senses.

Portumna Castle is surrounded bymany of the town's attractionsincluding Lough Derg, The IrishWokhouse Centre, the River Shannon,Portumna Forest Park and the13th/15th centuryCistercian/Dominican Priory. Thetown itself has a number of localamenities, including a modernplayground, picnic areas and a varietyof local restaurants for refreshments.

Top: Portumna Castle seen from thekitchen garden

Left: The kitchen garden at PortumnaCastle

Images © Government of IrelandNational Monuments ServicePhotographic Unit

36


This year was the first official year of National Quilting Week, which will run from 1st - 7th of June every year.To coincide with National Quilting Week, an inspirational exhibition led by Nikki Foley and other local artists was ondisplay in the Great Blasket Centre from May 25th – 10th June. From patchwork quilted chairs to hand pieced quilts,there was something for everyone to see.

Within the Irish Quilters Showcase Exhibition there are 13 quilts made by some of the top quilters in Ireland. Theywere given the title of The Wild Atlantic Way and each person stitched their interpretation of the title. This Irish QuiltersShowcase was organised by Paula Rafferty and Nikki Foley.

Images: Some of the exhibits on displayat the Great Blasket Centre during theIrish Quilter’s Showcase Exhibition heldfrom May 25th to 10th June, 2015.

An exhibition of Patchwork, Quilting and Textiles By Nikki Foley and The Sewing Shed

To include Irish Quilters Show Case 12 Irish Textile Artists make a stunning array of work based on the

Opening 22nd May - 14 th June The Blasket Centre Dún Chaoin, Dingle, Co. Kerry. +353 66 915 6444

Irish Quilter's Showcase Exhibitionheld at the Great Blasket Centre

For more information visit www.heritageweek.ieor call 1850 200 878

38

Charles FortKinsale, Co. Cork

Children's Arts & CraftsWorkshopsDuring July and August 2015, a number

of children's Arts & Crafts workshopswill be held at Charles Fort NationalMonument. Through various themed artactivities, children will learn about aparticular event in history. Dates to beconfirmed, but booking will be essential.For further information, please contactCharles Fort at telephone number: 0214772263 or email: [email protected]

Heritage Week, 2015Once again Charles Fort will host a

number of events to celebrate NationalHeritage Week which takes place from 22ndto 30th August 2015. From music to aphotographic display and a family picnic onthe green to children's tours, all ages will becatered to. We will also be calling onfamilies to enlist in the inaugural 'CharlesFort Family Challenge'. So you think youknow Charles Fort?......but is your familybrave enough to face a battle of knowledgeagainst the Charles Fort guides? Sign up andfind out!

Our new exhibition on the effects of theFirst World War on Charles Fort and Kinsaleis now open on site.

Other activities focusing on the theme of'Industrial Heritage & Design' and gearedtowards the under 12 age group will takeplace. For further information pleasecontact Charles Fort or check out thewebsite: www.heritageweek.ie

EVENTS’ GUIDE What’s On

22-30 August 2015

Top Left: Charles Fort Kinsale.

Left & Below: Children’s Art & Craft Workshops which will beheld during July & August 2015.

Main Photo: Army band at Trim Castle.

Far Right: Tribal Drumming at Knowth.

Heritage Week Events in the Boyne Valley, Brú na Bóinne

KnowthBEAT yOur DruM FOr HErITAGE WEEk August 22ndCome and be part of 200 drummers at Knowth to celebratethe launch of National Heritage Week. John Bowker ofTribal Spirit Drumming is one of Ireland's leadingcommunity drum facilitators and is renowned for hisfriendly and playful workshops. John is particularly skilledat creating a space where absolute beginners fully enjoy themagic and power of the hand drum! Suitable for ages 8plus, no experience is necessary and all hand drums will besupplied.Organised by Meath County Council and The Office ofPublic Works.

Trim CastleAugust 23rdTHE ArMy BAND OF THE 2ND BrIGADE PErFOrMA FrEE rECITAL IN THE GrOuNDS OF TrIMCASTLE

Old Mellifont AbbeyAugust 23rdHAvE A GO AT ArCHEry, TASTEMEDIEvAL ALE AND MEAD ANDDECOrATE A MEDIEvAL TILELoughcrewAugust 23rdTHE LOuGHCrEW TATTOOGet a temporary tattoo. Get a realistic temporary tattoo incorporating Neolithic designs! Safe, non-toxic and pain-free.

Heritage Week.ie39



the 2015 hill of tara Lecture Series will take placeon the first four wednesdays in July at 8.00pm inthe hill of tara visitor Centre. admission is freebut come early as seats are limited!dr Muireann ní Bhrolcháín was a greatfriend to the hill of tara. She taughtus all that tara is the landscape ofEarly Irish Literature. It is theplace where the mostimportant mythologicalevents take place. In July2014, she had volunteeredto give the first of the taraLectures in 2015 on thetopic of Regicide. wealways looked forwardto her talks deliveredwith great energy andgood humour. It waswith great sadness thatwe learned of her deathon april 14th 2015. weare dedicating thisyear's lecture series toher memory,celebrating the sitenearest to her heart...the hill of tara.

Wednesday July 1st'Curious tales of heroes,Kings and Saints at tara' by dr Edel Bhreatnach, discovery Programme

Wednesday July 8th'tara in the Bronze age' by dr Eoin Grogan, nuI Maynooth

Wednesday July 15th'the Mound of the hostages' by Prof Muiris O'Sullivan, uCd

Hill of Tara Lecture Series 2015

Wednesday July 22nd'Pigs and Kings'

by dr Mary Leenane, nuI Maynooth

Dedicated to the Memory of Dr Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin

Craft in Actionat Brú na Bóinne

Exhibition July 18-Aug 21

The 15th annual Craft in ActionExhibition at Brú na Bóinne visitor

Centre takes place daily from July 18thuntil August 21st.This is an opportunity to meet the CraftWorkers of the Boyne Valley and watch themcreate their work.Among the crafts on display this year there isbatik making, felt work, furniture, painting,cards, silver jewellery, wall hangings, appliquépictures, free hand ink drawings on canvas,reed work, pottery, beaded jewellery, stainedglass and weaving. Admission to the Exhibition, which runsfrom 9.00am until 6.00pm, is free of charge. Regular charges apply elsewhere.All welcome!

THE GLEBE GALLERY / OFFICE OF PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTS:

TRINITY'S COLLEGE GALLERY: THE SWING OF

THE SIXTIESCURATED BY RICHARD WOOD

Venue: The Glebe House & Gallery, Churchill, LetterkennyDates: 4th July – 27th September, 2015Time: 11.00am – 6.30pm (Daily) Admission: FREEContact: T. 074 913 7071 E: [email protected] facebook.com/TheGlebeHouseAndGallery www.glebegallery.ie

The Glebe Gallery is delighted to exhibit a selection of 20th centuryworks from the Trinity College Art Collections. Curated by richard

Wood for Lismore Castle Arts, the exhibition features key Irish andinternational pieces by JosefAlbers, karel Appel, PatrickCollins, Barrie Cooke, CarlosCruz-Diez, Micheal Farrell,robert Indiana, Cecil king,roy Lichtenstein, Nano reid,Patrick Scott, William Scott,Peter Sedgley and victorvasarely, accompanied by aportrait of George Dawson byMick O’Dea and a studentresponse by Barra Boydellfrom 1968.

For over 55 years, generationsof students, staff and visitors atTrinity College Dublin have beenintroduced to the excitementsand challenges of contemporaryvisual arts, at the moment oftheir emergence, through apicture hire scheme, known on campus as ‘The College Gallery’.

Established by George Dawson, founder of Trinity's GeneticsDepartment, in 1959/60 the picture hire scheme was run by Dawson and agroup of student volunteers including Richard Wood, a Trinity student atthe time. The purpose of the hire scheme was to lend art works to studentsin halls of residence. The scheme was later extended to staff anddepartments. With the passage of time the collection grew and students,encouraged by Dawson's enthusiasm, developed their own critical eye andbecame increasingly involved in the process of collecting contemporary artat Trinity.

Together with Dawson and other key staff members like Professor AnneCrookshank and Adrian Phillips, they traveled the length and breadth ofIreland and often further afield, feasting on ‘the swing’ taking place in thevisual arts. Urban and abstract subjects began to dominate resulting in boldstyles and techniques such as hard-edge minimalism and silkscreen printing,Op, Pop and Kinetic art, reflecting wider, pervasive social changes. Studentimaginations were captured and the College’s Modern Art collection wasfirmly established.

The Glebe Gallery would like to thank Lismore Castle Arts and RichardWood who conceived and curated this exhibition, Catherine Giltrap,Curator of the University Art Collections, and Carolyn Kelly, CollectionsManagement and Curatorial Assistant, Trinity College Dublin, for sharingthis exhibition with us.


Photo credit: Micheal Farrell, Study’66, 1966,acrylic on canvas, 91.5 x 80.5 cm,

Trinity College Dublin Art Collections.


Above: Art Tour of Dublin CastleBelow: Dublin Castle © Rob Durston / Fáilte Ireland

42

Dublin Castle Special Art Tourfor Heritage Card holders, with access behind the scenesSunday 28 June 2015 at 3.30pm Please book by e-mailing [email protected] with 'arttour' on the subject line quoting your heritage cardnumber. Alternatively you can purchase your card fromhttp://www.heritageireland.ie/en/Info/HeritageCards/or arrive early on the day to purchase it in Dublin Castle.And remember: the Heritage Card covers free admissionand tours to more than 50 heritage sites around Irelandfor a whole year from the date of purchase.

‘Guests of the Nation’ PlayTuesday, 30th June and Wednesday, 1st JulyBalally Players Theatre Company will perform their award-winning production of Guests of the Nation in the open-airat St. Enda's Park (Rathfarnham), Dublin.Their production, based on a short story by one of Ireland’sgreatest writers, Frank O’ Connor, was awarded secondplace at the All-Ireland One-Act Final.The group is traveling to Belgium to represent Ireland withthe play at an International Theatre Festival in early July.They are being supported in St. Enda's Park by RathfarnhamTheatre Group who will perform their comedy, Joining theClub, directed by Maria Burke King. Tickets can be booked through the Mill Theatre atwww.milltheatre.ie or Tel: 01 296 9340.


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