Dunseverick Castle

Dunseverick Castle – Ulster’s hidden treasure

There are few more iconic sites than the lone, solitary stones of a once great castle standing tall above the sea. Dunseverick, as it is known today, is but a shadow of its former glory. Now a National Trust site, all that remains are but a few stone walls displaced along a small headland – …

Rathgall

Irish Hillforts – Grounding History

As you walk around any modern city, nearly always your eyes will be drawn to the architecture. The style, scale, and shape of the buildings captures our attention, eliciting emotions and leaving an enduring impression. I have had the privilege of visiting many cities around the world and invariably it’s the government buildings which standout. …

Rathgall

Irish Hillforts: Dispelling the myths

2,500 years ago, standing atop the fort’s gateway platform, you can see a beautiful panoramic scene before you. Immediately outside lies open pasture, forests cleared to provide the abundant resources needed to build your home. Where these dense forests once stood, now herds of cattle can be seen grazing lazily in the open pasture. The …

Rathcroghan: Ireland’s ancient metropolis

Little inspires the imagination as vividly as walking through the ruined remains of a once thriving metropolis. Seeing the great stones of buildings, the hills and walkways where our ancestors would have stepped, or just the sense of scale of a place which has fallen so far from its place of greatness. Rathcroghan, with a …

Mount Sandel: Ireland’s ancient beginnings

Tracing our family history has become one of the most popular pastimes across the world. This is particularly true for the many millions (estimates vary between 50-80million) of people claiming Irish ancestry. Meticulous detective work reveals all sorts of fascinating personal histories tracing back generations to their roots. But what about 400 generations? For that’s …

Mesolithic rock art from Newgrange

Newgrange – the prehistoric whodunnit

The world record for the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human is a staggering 2.4 tonnes. With years of training, specialized dieting, and intensive preparations, this is the greatest weight a single human has ever lifted. And yet, the passage tomb of Newgrange consists of a colossal 97 stone slabs, all weighing more than …

Fort Navan: Ulster’s Ancient Capital

The Tain1 is one of Ireland’s most vivid ancient tales centering around the theft and subsequent conflict over a mighty bull. The famed Ulster hero Cu Chulainn, known as the “Hound of Emain Macha,”2 sets out to reclaim the bull himself, and (after the Ulster army are stricken with a debilitating sickness3) he single-handedly holds …

The Giant’s Ring: Belfast’s Neolithic Roots

When we look at the ancient stone monuments, thousands of years old, which dot our landscape, it is difficult to truly comprehend what we are seeing, never mind comprehend their significance. There’s no questioning that they have inspired generations of writers, artists, and thinkers: with fantasy genres full of scenes centred around these mysterious sites, …

The Hill of Tara: Ireland’s Historical Scar

Historical landmarks can, in themselves, become symbols and even metaphors for an entire historical period: whether it’s the Coliseum in Rome, the Parthenon in Athens, or the Pyramids in Egypt. These sites take on a character beyond the mere stones and presence they embody, becoming immortalized in the myths, legends, and histories which surround them. …