A Winter Walk at the Mall!

Weather is fickle here!  Our walk started with no precipitation, then ice balls, then snow, then a sunny spell.  We had been having temps in the upper 40's, but then this past week started getting high winds and temps just above freezing, sometimes dipping just below 0 degrees Celsius so we can enjoy some snowflakes.  The Winter Solstice was cold and rainy, but today it's 2 more seconds of sunlight!  Woohoo!

Bad Dog!

Well, I think we know which dog chewed the toilet paper roll!  It isn't a clear shot because I was laughing too much...  Rugby was on the dog bed laying low, he usually panics when Chloe has done something wrong, and then she wedged in behind him and hid her face!  At least she was ashamed of herself...

Steve meets the Taoiseach!

The Taoiseach (pronounced "tee shock") is the head of the Irish Government.  He is like a Prime Minister, and is nominated by the Dail Eirann (the lower house of government) and appointed by the President.  The President is more of a ceremonial post, and the appointment of the Taoiseach by the president is also ceremonial in nature.  Thus, it is the lower house, those elected by the people of the country to serve, who move to elect the Taoiseach.

The current Taoiseach is Enda Kenny who has held the post since 2011.  He is standing just in front of Steve wearing the tie.  This picture was in our local paper, The Longford Leader.  Steve joked that he was behind the Taoiseach to give him rabbit ears for the shot!

Steve also relates that he was very personable and he enjoyed meeting him.

Grogan's of Glasson

We ended the day at Grogan's Pub where we obviously had a very good time!  They have a wonderful menu, their seafood chowder is the best we have ever had, and the people are very friendly and accommodating!  No better way to end the day than fabulous food, delicious Guinness, and grand company.  Cheers!

Proof that I was there!

What better proof than a selfie?!  Wish I had gotten those braces in junior high...

Anyway, Clonmacnoise is a lovely place to tour.  The River Shannon is wide and lovely here, the landscape is grand, and the history is incredible.  It is well worth a visit and I highly recommend it!

High Crosses at Clonmacnoise

These crosses are in the visitor center to protect them from the elements.  Replicas are out in the places where these crosses originally stood.  These are some of the best-preserved high crosses in Europe.

Original Cross of the Scriptures. It was created in approximately 900 AD.  This is also known as King Flann's Cross, he being the King of Tara who commissioned the Cathedral and this Cross.

The South Cross.

The North Cross.

Grave slab and it's translation below:

Clonmacnoise

This is a monastery begun by St. Ciaran in approximately 546 -548 AD.  It is built along the River Shannon, at the crossroads where the river meets the Esker Riada.  The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland and it essentially cuts the country into east and west halves.  The Esker Riada was a gravel ridge left behind by glaciers and became the main thoroughfare in ancient times.  The Esker Riada essentially cuts across the country creating two halves North and South.  As the Shannon was the main way to travel North and South, and the Esker Riada was the main way to travel east and west, the crossroads was the perfect place for a center of trade and education.  The monastery produced many famous manuscripts and it was known as The Island of Saints and Scholars.

There is a lot of history here, and obviously the place had additions built over the centuries.  St. Ciaran died of the plague only 7 months after the building had begun.  When he died, the monastic settlement was wooden huts, not the stone ruins we see today.  They suffered devastating fires and disease, and each time rebuilt.  Because of its location and renown, it was a target of plunder for many conquering peoples over the years, including the Vikings.  If I recall the film shown at the visitor center correctly, they said it was attacked by the Vikings no less than 8 times over a 300 year period.   Add to that 30 or so attacks by other kings and peoples and it is amazing to see that it stands at all!

The largest church, the Cathedral, was built on the property in about 909 in a joint undertaking of the King of Tara and the Abbot of the Monastery at that time.  Some of the High Kings of Ireland plundered, others provided support and protection to the Monastery.  The last King of Ireland, Rory O'Connor was buried there in 1198.   Temple Connor, built in 1200 still stands and is used for special masses to this day, as during the visit from Pope John Paul II in 1979.

Celtic Cross at Tara

I could not find anything absolute on this cross,  nor why it was encircled by the iron fence.  There was a photo of it in Irish American Magazine on their web site, irishamerica.com, taken by Seamus Lynch, and in his caption, he states that it was put up in 1948 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle at Tara.  Perhaps that is the case, I don't know.  His photo is awesome though - taken with a beautiful red sunset behind it - truly remarkable and worth looking it up online.

The Fairy Tree

Not sure what the significance of the fairy tree is, but people hang things on it and well, that's what they do!  It i s noted as a wishing tree as well.  

A shot of the sheep who eat the grass, and who also keep the grass growing...Seriously, you cannot get through this walk without some sheep sh** catching a ride on your shoes!

The Lia Fail: Royal Symbol of Tara

This is Stone of Destiny.  (Yes, we did giggle because apparently, Jeff and I are both really 12 years old...) 

It was originally closer to the Mound of the Hostages, but it was moved to this spot to mark the graves of 400 rebels who died in the battle of Tara in the United Irishmen revolution of 1798. 

According to the pamphlet, there is some discrepancy as to whether this is the true Lia Fail, but it is largely accepted as such. 

Mound of the Hostages at Tara

Once through the gate, it is astounding to see the incredible views from the Hill of Tara.  According to Michael Slavin's pamphlet, the name comes from Teamhair meaning "a place of great prospect".  It is said that when the weather is clear, you can see features in half the counties of Ireland from the Hill of Tara. 

The Mound of the Hostages is an ancient ritual and burial mouind dating back to about 2500 BC.  There are sacred celtic symbols engraved on the stone entrance.  The name comes from the practice of the Kings of Tara holding important persons from other, lesser kingdoms, to ensure that they remain faithful to the King of Tara.  One King is said to have kept nine hostages - one from each province of Ireland and 4 from England.

There is a lot of history here spanning thousands of years.  There were excavations done in the early 20th Century by a group believing that the Arc of the Covenant would be found at Tara. Excavations done at the Mound in the 1950's produced  over 200 cremated human remains, and the skeleton of a 14 year old boy from the Bronze Age.  A truly interesting place.