The Tipperary Antiquarian

Today is the pattern day of St. Odhran of Latteragh. His pattern takes place today at St. Odhran's well near Latteragh in Co. Tipperary. Incorrectly I previously worte that St. Odhran was one of "The Twelve Apostles of Ireland" who went with St. Columcille to found the monastery on Iona off the coast of Scotland. I wrote about this here . I've since found some more interesting folklore about the well in the Schools Manuscipts including St Medran using his breath to light a candle, St Odhran's well springing up where a boy disappeared, the "cures" that the stones at the well can perform and of course a magic trout within the well itself. From duchas.ie "About the beginning of the sixth century two holy men Saint Odhran and Saint Medran lived at Latteragh in the parish of Templederry. Believing that it would be pleasing to God to spread his Gospel to places where it was not known, they set out to visit Saint Kieran at Kilkenny probably to get h...

Back in 2014 when I first came across the Rock Art at Lisheentyrone I thought it would be easy to find more. I surveyed the old 1840s OS maps online around the Portroe area and came across a feature called out as St. Patrick's Rock which I had never heard of up to that point. When I clicked into the description of it on Archaeology.ie it was described as "natural depressions on surface of boulder known locally as the footprint of a greyhound". I immediately thought this has to be unrecognised rock-art and visited as soon as I could. I was particularly optimistic as this rock is on the slope of a prehistoric hill-fort and there were two other unusual prehistoric features in the area ( Graves of the Leinstermen & The Capstone of the King of Leinster ). Unfortunately as you can see from the photos the depression does indeed seem to be natural. There is also some recent graffiti on the rock. Since then I found this bi...

When: 26th August 2016 - 18.30 - 19.30 Where: Meet at Portroe National School, Portroe, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary Details "Ancient rock carvings recently found in Portroe, Co. Tipperary.- First of its kind discovered in Tipperary and place of “gatherings” for over 4,000 years." This walk and talk departs from outside Portroe National School where we will walk through fields for approximately 800m to visit the megalithic complex of Lisheentyrone. Ground is typical agricultural land with uneven and muddy surfaces and so appropriate foot-wear is required. All attending the walk will be doing so at their own risk. This complex includes a pair of standing stones, a bowl barrow and since 2014 a large horizontal stone panel of cup-marks. This is the first of its kind found in the mid-west region and all of Co. Tipperary. This rock-art, a s it is known, dates to at least the bronze age or 4,000 years ago. It can be argued that it is of a similar tradition to the rock carving...

When I read the folklore associated with Kilmore in the Schools Manuscripts I knew I would have to pay it a visit sometime. How many opportunities do you get to visit a place where a man was brought back to life? Folklore says it was St. Odhran who founded the monastery at Kilmore. It also says that it was the location of raising a man from the dead Lazarus style by St. Senan. St. Senan is associated more with West Clare where he was born but he is noted as one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland" as was St. Odhran. You would expect binging someone back from the dead would be a miracle that couldn't be topped. However St. Senan also rid Scattery Island in the Shannon Estuary of "The Cathach" , a sea serpent like creature so it is debatable which is more impressive! When he was a boy he also performed a miracle similar to Moses's parting of the red sea where a path opened across an estuary to allow him to bring back his cows. H...

Cappadine 2016 This is a small triangular standing stone which I visited back in 2006 just as the M7 motorway works were going on. Now if you known where it is you can spot it easily from the motorway itself. I recently visited it again because of a note I had made about possible cupmarks on the stones. There are some curious hollows and marks on them but unfortunately I think they are natural. I love the view to the Silvermines / Keeper Hill Mountains. It looks to be the reason why they picked this location for the standing stone. I had also wondered about some kind of astronomical alignment but this is not a sector of the sky that the sun sets or rises in as it is too far north. Cappadine 2006 with motorway works starting Cappadine 2016 Cappadine 2006 From archaeology.ie "Situated on an E-facing slope of rising ground in an upland area with a ringfort (TN025-06801) nearby to the W. A triangular-shaped conglomerate (H 1m; dims. 1m x 0.65m) orientat...