Curios of Counties Galway & Roscommon

Sunday 2nd April saw us once again on the road. This time our destination was to Drum in the south-west corner of County Roscommon and a good few kilometres from home. Fortunately the day held promise for the weather, when we left, was sunny and bright. Thankfully it stayed that way for the whole day.

Our route took us through the large town of Athlone  [Baile Átha Luain, meaning "town of Luan's ford]which sits astride the river Shannon like a mother duck. A good place for shopping with numerous stores that cater for everyone - ladies please note. We did not stop but pressed onwards through Monksland [Fearann na Manach] to Drum [Droim’ meaning ridge or hillock]. We followed the brown signposts towards the our destination - a megalith named Meehambee Dolmen, meaning yellow meadow from the Irish word Míothán buídhe. 

When the British Crown ruled Ireland they changed Irish names into what they thought were easily pronounceable place names. The consequence of this action was that the geographical meanings of  place names were obscured or lost and the Irish language was outlawed. Today we have English gobble de gook on some sign boards, though in places the original Irish is also displayed.

The Ice House

As we drove along a very narrow road that undulated and twisted left and right for several kilometres towards Míothánbuídhe, I noticed a rectangular hole in an embankment wall amid some stone heaps.  This suggested that we were passing a ruined building so we stopped and took photos. At home later my research told me that the hole was what is known as an Ice House where meats were preserved - rather like a fridge. The building is believed to be the former home place of the Ó Lionáin family, other names being O'Lennan, O'Lonain and both translate as Lennon.

A few minutes from the Ice House and we reached a small parking place. 

Here was the start of an old bridleway bordered by dry stone walls on either side, which looked to be very inviting. It proved to be a very pleasant stroll to the megalith, the majority of the plant life being fresh Ransom (Allium Ursinum), wild garlic in leaf, the scent of which faintly perfumed the air. On the way was a large hill fort known as Rath of the Wren which sadly it was fenced off, although I suppose doing so prevents it from being damaged.

Reduced headroom under a natural arch

of Whitethorn and Ivy

A blue fairy has just come out of the dolmen to take photo's !

Yours truly.

At the end of the bridlepath the Abhainn na Crannain

flows gently along

After our visit to the megalith we decided to make our way to Tuam in Co Galway for there is a particular Well there that Mrs H wanted to visit. Whenever time allows we always use the by-roads those whose designated number is preceded by an R or an L, rather than the large fast roads with a N or M. It is the scenery which interests us, that and the convenience of stopping for coffee and sandwiches which we always carry on tours such as these.

The bridge over the river Shevin at Ballinamore, Co. Galway.

Suddenly, I saw what appeared to be a castle wall in the distance complete with crenellations and yet there was no mention of this on the map. As we got closer I saw that it was a river bridge with a fortified high wall on one side only. Later research informed me that it was built in the mid 1800’s and I am guessing that it may well have been part of a famine relief scheme. Similar works were undertaken across the country, the idea being that money for food must be earned rather than given freely to those in need. 

We eventually arrived in Tuam, Tuim a burial mound, and although we knew the area where St Jarlaith’s well was situated we failed to locate it. So another journey must be undertaken armed with more detailed information. 

We turned for home with our route taking us through Athenry, Baile Áth na Ríogh, meaning "Town of the Ford of the Kings” and famed for the well-known song ‘The Fields of Athenry’.

The Dubliners-The Fields Of Athenry- HQ

TheDublinersHQ

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The Dubliners--The Fields Of Athenry Lyrics By a lonely prison wall I heard a young girl calling Michael they are taking you 

The Cockerel, Mouse and Fly.

On Mother's Day we took ourselves off on an adventure to southern Laoise [pronounced as Leesh] and in particular to the picturesque village of Timahoe.

Timahoe, derives its’ name from Saint Tigh Mochua, 

there the houses are built around a large, central piece of common land known as the Goosegreen.  

St. Mochua established a monastery at Timahoe in the seventh century which burnt down in 1142, later it was re-established by the O’Moores.  

A 12th century round tower standing 96ft high is located close by Mochua’s Abbey and there was a monastic community here as late as 1650. It was then that the Franciscan friars were murdered at a spot known locally as "Boher a wurther" or the murdering road, by Colonel Hewson and Cromwell’s army. 

Along the road to Timahoe.

The locals call it 'Goosegreen'

Looking East the River Bauteogue

Looking West along the River Bauteogue

The round tower stands in a lovely setting accessed by a footbridge that crosses the River Bauteogue, Báiteóg, meaning ‘a swamp’. Originally access to the tower and Abbey was via a ford.

Drawing from Laois County Council archive

Detail of the towers entrance.

The Round Tower 

St Mochua had a reputation as a healer, and is said to have cured two other abbots – St Colman Elo of a sudden loss of memory and St Fintan Munnu of ‘leprosy’.

Mochua died in the year 657.

St. Mochua's companions

St. Mochua lived as a hermit without worldly goods except for three pets – a rooster, a mouse and a fly. The rooster wakened him for the hours of Matins; if he didn’t wake up or dozed off during the day weak from his vigils and prayers, the mouse would nibble at his ear not letting him sleep more than three hours a day or night. The fly would walk along each line of his Psalter as he read and when he became tired, the fly would stop at the point where the saint had broken off until he could return again to resume reading the Psalms.

The Little Pets of St. Mochua

When St. Mochua knelt to pray

Each morning at the break of day

There always was about the house

A rooster, fly and little mouse

Three willing slaves to serve him well

And share his solitary cell

The rooster every morn would crow

And waken him for matins, though

When he slept too sound to hear

The mouse came forth and nipped his ear

And though he never had a clock

The mouse would call him or the cock

And if he had to leave a book

From out some dusty hidden nook

A fly, with patience and with grace

Would sit for hours and mark the place.

 © John Irvine

I very much hope that your appetites have been whetted sufficiently enough to make a visit to this breath taking place. Where a on a sunny warm day you can lose yourself in peaceful surroundings and enjoy some wonder filled dreams.

East of Griffiths Bridge

This time we view the activities at the eastern side of the bridge

which are very different, from my first visit of twenty-five years ago

and am pleased to see the new berths with the modern services.

The sturdy road bridge at Shannon Harbour called Griffith’s Bridge was named after Richard Griffiths one of the directors of the Canal company who built the

Grand Canal.

This beautiful steam launch named Maggie caught my eye and I would very much liked to have removed the cover and viewed her details, which I imagine are excellent.

Nice touch to see a bucket of flowers at the end of the pontoon!

 Look at this beauty with her almost vertical stem and bulwarks along with a pulpit rail.

Once again my admiration goes to her owner for having such a ship-shape craft.

Having mentioned the pulpit guard rail there is an error in believing that a stern guard rail is a pushpit rail, this completely wrong for both are pulpit rails and pulpit means a place where a person may lean on a speak from - ok lecture over.

Further upstream all manner are craft are moored along the bank.

Those tall buildings (ruin) are all that remains of the Grand Hotel that was built to accommodate travellers and patrons of the Grand Canal in late 19th century.

More moored boats !

I have not yet finished with Shannon Harbour as you will

see in my next blog post.

Bridge over Calm Waters.

Did I ever tell you that I was afloat before I could walk ?  As a consequence I have always had an affinity with water.

Our latest trip was to Shannonbridge, where the great river flows and separates Co.Offaly from Co. Roscommon. Prior to 1757 you would have had to be ferried across this great, wet divide. Today this sixteen arch bridge is part of the R357 that connects Ballinasloe in Co. Galway in the west with the eastern part of the country.

The Shannonbridge artillery fort showing the main redoubt with the ramp in front of it, the R357  enters the fort just in front of the fortified Barrack Block. The defences were designed to delay a military force approaching from the west from crossing the River Shannon to the eastern side. They take the form of an elongated triangle with blunted western end, consisting of a sub-rectangular redoubt in front of a wedge-shaped enclosure and connected to it with a pair of diverging stone walls. The redoubt was completed in 1810, the barrack Block in 1814 and the rest of the defences in 1817. 

Today the old fort is the well known Parkers Restaurant where you can sit and dine and watch the boats go by.

http://www.ireland-guide.com/establishment/old-fort-the.3953.html

Of the sixteen arches of the bridge it is at this span at the eastern end which is used for navigation, for all the others are impeded by hidden rocks. Originally this span was fitted with a pair of iron swing beams.

The Old Crane with Bridge Master's House

in the background.

I greatly admired these lamp standards with

their ornate tops.

The preserved swing bridge

or The Oldest Pair of Swingers'

for miles around!

The Floral Arch

I have long admired the design of this type of

craft, which think may possibly be pre WW2

Moored at the dock are examples of the various

motor cruisers that abound on the river Shannon