The form of a monastery before 1000 was similar across Ireland, with a focus on a wooden church placed within a circular palisade enclosure or ‘rath’. By their nature such buildings are not durable but representations can be found in the form of reliquaries and very often at the top of later high crosses, such as here at Monasterboice. This cross is known as Muiredach's cross and is thought to date from the 10th century.
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Killymoon Castle and demesne viewed from Tullaghoge Fort.
Killymoon Castle was constructed in 1802-3 for Col James Stewart, to the designs of architect John Nash, who famously laid out Regent Street in London. It was his first castle in Ireland, and reputedly cost £80,000 to build. It has much in common with a later Nash castle of 1807-10 in Caerhays, Cornwall. The celebrated gardener and designer of the Crystal Palace, Sir Joseph Paxton wrote: "I have visited most of the celebrated country seats in the Kingdom and a very large number on the continent, and I have never seen one - for the extent of it - more compact, more perfect in itself, or where the highest natural beauties have been more aided by refined taste and judgment, than Killymoon". While much of the demesne was sold off after 1922, the house and surrounding planting survives. It has been described by the eminent architectural historian Terence Reeves-Smyth as ‘the oldest surviving example of a ‘castle style’ building by Nash and one of his most successful houses, boasting among other things, a very early full essay in the revived Norman style, a striking port cochère, and a revolutionary and ingeniously planned interior.’ Tullahoge Fort is a place full of atmosphere reinforced by sentinel like posts, installed in 2017, marching up the hill to the great inauguration site. This was the crowning point of the O'Neill's and, is a large circular earthwork on top of a hill that surveys all of the surrounding country. In 1602, the associated inauguration chair was smashed by the English as a symbolic act during the Nine Year's War .
Took a walk in the Ness Woods today. Visited the atmospheric waterfall. Called Shane's Leap after a 1770's highwayman who jumped across it managing to escape capture. I once did a sketch - November 1988- long time ago now.
Happy New Year. I took a walk over Binevenagh and had a look again at Craigbolie Castle. Also known as Dun Crutheni, it is a D shaped fort with expansive views over Magilligan. Boundary wall is in stone but this is now covered in vegetation. Near the centre is a circular raised area thought likely to indicate the site of a former structure. The Cruthin were the dominant power in this area at the start of recorded history (the 5th century), and have been linked by some to the Picts in Scotland (though this link has been dismissed by others). An asteroid was named after them in 1986 - ‘3753 Cruithne’. The form of the fort has been noted to resemble fortifications on the west coast of Scotland so there may have been some link across the water. Today it is a powerful reminder of a time long past.
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Marks of Time
Sketches of buildings in the North West of Ireland and further afield with a little information about their history. Categories
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October 2024
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