The Tipperary Antiquarian

Duntryleague Passage-tomb near Galbally, Co. Limerick. I always seem to think this is in Tipperary , probably because the view to the east is of the Galtees and the "Harps of Cliu" and because it is on the same ridge of mountain that forms the Glen of Aherlow where Tipperary 's only confirmed passage tomb is located ( Shrough ). This passage tomb is unusual in that it is aligned towards the north. It is located within a forestry plantation that with every new picture I see, seems to be growing taller and taller. I first visited in 2006 when the trees had last been harvested and here are some pictures from this visit. I suppose you could argue that this is   the essence of antiquarianism, visiting monuments and preserving photos and sketches (or whatever) of them before time, nature or human action change them. I found some wonderful folklore on duchas.ie about the tomb, also known as Darby's Bed. Much of the action in this story takes place...

There are currently 14 intact megalithic tombs recorded in North Tipp. Eleven wedge-tombs, two portal-tombs & one court-tomb. There are also records of megalithic structures (possible tombs that don't conform to any of the above types) and there are three of those recorded. However there are also records of a number of tombs that are unfortunately destroyed or missing. Cooleen The first one we will look at was at Cooleen. It was recorded in 1969 by O'Nuallain & De Valera and a photograph was even taken of it. From Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland : Vol IV by Ruaidhrí De Valera & Sean O Nuaillain   Although heavily overgrown at the time it was clearly an impressive tomb with a gallery that was 6 m long. By 1972 it was being used as a dumping ground for other large stones from the surrounding area. In 1969 De Valera & O'Nuaillain even drew a plan of the tomb. From Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland : Vol IV by Ruaidhrí De Valera...

I found this great drawing from 1791 of St. Lua's Oratory which was located on an island on the River Shannon just outside Ballina in North Tipp. The island was drowned when the Ardnacrusha Hyrdo Electric Power plant was built and the level of the water raised. The Oratory was removed stone by stone and reerected in the yard of the RC Church in Killaloe. For some foklore on St. Lua see the following "Long ago there lived on an Island in the vicinity of Killaloe a saint named ... Lua or Molua. It was from this Saint that the town and the diocese got their names. The Cathedral however is called after St Flannan. There are few places in Ireland of more historical interest, combined with unrivalled scenery, than that to which St. Lua gave his name. One of the most ancient monasteries on the Shannon was that built by Molua in the sixth century and this and the monastery called Iniscalthra, founded by Caimin, are situated amidst scenic beauty. Both had...

A pair of earth-fast Bullaun stones in the vicinity of Youghalarra monastic site in North Tipp. Although known locally I realised it hadn't been included in the SMR and notified it to the National Monuments Service. Just one of many interesting sites in the half barony of Arra. Described on archaeology.ie as follows: "In pasture, in a slight hollow, on NE facing slope of rising ground overlooking Lough Derg to N and E, higher ground to NW and W. The shoreline of Lough Derg is 650m to NE. St. Conlan's church (TN014-015001-) and graveyard (TN014-015002-) 1.4km to SE. Second bullaun stone (TN014-078001-) 1.2m upslope to W. A subrectangular earthfast sandstone boulder (dims. 1.15m x 1m; H 0.22m) with two bowl-shaped water-filled hollows (top diam. 0.41m; base diam. 0.3m; D 0.2m) on its upper surface. The W hollow (top diam. 0.41m; base diam. 0.3m; D 0.2m) is 0.04m from shallow E hollow (diam. 0.36m; D 0.07m). According to local tradition these stones were bel...

At over 2.6m tall - this standing stone next to the largest wedge tomb in Tipperary is likely to be the tallest standing stone still standing in Tipp. There is some interesting folklore linking it with the story of Diarmuid & Grainne. They of course were thought to have spent the night in the nearby wedge tomb or leaba. "About 200 yards from this house in an old road stands a pillar stone about 12 ft high. Around this stone is a print of a chain and at one time by its side was a smaller stone, which is now broken and carried away. Longstone tradition says it was brought by Diarmuid on his back by means of a chain and the smaller stone brought by Granna. Stones in the construction of labba seem to be brought a short distance from a Quarry down under in the Glen." It is interesting to note the height of 12ft - this converts back to 3.6m high, what happened to the additional 1m! https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922162/4857307/5016449

Red Hugh on his horse by Gavigan 01 at English Wikipedia Creative Commons Atrribution - Share Alike 3.0 Unported One of the most interesting bits of folklore I came across when I started reading the Irish Folklore Manuscripts when they went online was the story of "The Ultachs" in the Slieve Felims. One version that seems to have carried through is that a number of Ulster men from Donegal settled in the Slieve Felims on the retreat after the Battle of Kinsale. It is thought that they were part of Red Hugh O'Donnells army who passed this way from Holy Cross to Croom and may have seen how sparsely populated the area was at that time and so on the way back decided that it could be a place to settle. From Foilycleara (just over the border into Co. Limerick). " Several families of people in this locality are referred to as "Ultachs". They have typical Donegal names such as Quigley, Dogherty, Devitt, Carew, Carr. After the name Ryan the most numerous...

Part of a Shrine to St. Columba / Mass Rock and bullaun stone at Terryglass Catholic Church in North Tipp. Folklore suggests that it was a part of a Shrine that housed the remains of St. Columba at one stage. It also says that the rock was later used as a mass-rock at this site. This is slightly contradicted by the folklore saying it was located at the National School in Terryglass prior to the 1930s when it was moved to the "new" cemetery. I had initially wondered if it may ... have been the base of an old high-cross and whether there may be any faint carvings on it that could be brought up with a light but I think that seems unlikely after a second visit to it recently. From an information board at St. Columbas Headache Well. "For centuries, pilgrims have prayed for healing at St. Columba's Headache Well. St. Columba's founded a monastery in Tir Dhá Ghlas in 549AD. Some years after his death, his remains were returned to Tir Dhá Ghlas to be laid to ...

I've been reading "The Irish Church, Its Reform & the English Invasion" by Donnchadh O Corrain and one very interesting section refers to Cashel. In 1101 Muirchertach O Briain (King of Munster & of the Dal Cais) granted the Rock to the Church as part of the Synod of Cashel. ... The author thinks that it "deprived the Eoganacht dynasty of its ancient historic centre forever". The Eoganacht were rivals to the Kingship of Munster and had used the Rock as a Royal Centre. The terms of the grant was that the Rock "was to be free from any secular exaction and that it was a grant to the church in Ireland as such, namely, that it was not to become the property of any individual, group of clerics, or any single religious institution". It also helped show Muirchertachs position as a "reformer" and helped create a second major ecclesiastical centre in Ireland in rivallry to Armagh. (Pgs 65/66). So from that the ecclesiatical centre or...

Growing up I often heard of the townland area Pallas - an upland area outside Nenagh. The name always conjured the idea of a Palace to me but of course that was a fanciful notion. I was reading the book " Gaelic Ireland c. 1250-1650: Land, Lordship and Settlement" in which uthor Professor Elizabeth Fitzpatrick mentioned that townlands with the name Pallas may often have housed a high-status Gaelic timber fortress. This obviously got me thinking of the local townland Pallas. Prof. Fitzpatricks latest paper finally became available to view on academia.edu and in it she discusses this idea. https://aran.library.nuigalway.ie/handle/10379/14741 This is a fascinating paper and Tipperary features prominently in a number of sections of it.  The paper looks at the meaning of the name Pallas and considers whether it comes from palisade or was a borrowed term from abroad for an elite building. It also confirms that there are townlands with the name Pallas from all fo...

Outside Clonmel in South Tipperary in the townland of Mullachnoney is the reputed inauguration site of the Kings of An Deise known as Mullach Inneona. From the information board adjacent to the site it "was the inauguration site of the kings of An Deise Thuaiscirt from time immemorial until the coming of the Normans. According to legend, Aonghus Nad-fraoich, King of Cashel, granted the territory of Uibh Eoghain and Uibh Fhathaidh (Iffa and Offa E. & W.) to the Deise, as a reward for expelling the Osraige from the area. They gave their name, An Deise Thuaiscirt, to the newly acquired territory. It is related that St. Patrick came to Inneoin to fast against the king, Ledhan, because he had refused to accept baptism from St. Declan. Declan came to Inneoin to meet Patrick. They deposed Ledhan, appointed Feargal MacCormaic in his place, blessed him and proclaimed him chieftan. The Declan and Fergal gave a large area of land to Patrick in which there was a clear fountain, sin...

Its funny how a random news report can get you thinking of monuments you visited many moons ago. I happened upon this report in "The Nationalist" newspaper primarily based in Clonmel about a reservoir to be constructed in the townland of Giantsgrave. Obviously with a name like that there must have been a monument here once. Hopefully the stone will not be affected by the works and has been noted. I last visited approximately 11 years ago and I understand that these days this block enclosure with the pillar stone is lost behind a pine plantation. When I last visited there was no entry on archaeology.ie for the site. So when I thought of it after reading the article I found the SMR has a lot to say about the monument. It is likely that this stone was recorded on the Civil Survey of (1654-6) and this shows its importance as a landscape feature. As mentioned below one of the crosses is in raised relief and the other in base relief and you can see that in the photos....

This is one of the Síds of Tipperary that I had forgotten to write up into blog format. People will know it as the dramatic ruin looking down into the valley were Kelly's of Fantane are based. Prof Ronald Hicks who is an expert on the subject says this "Síd (Cullain) – in or near Glenkeen, a valley and parish in County Tipperary with an early monastic site. There are several likely hills nearby, including one in the townland. Perhaps more likely is Cullahill, to the west of the mona ... stic site. Today there is the ruin of a large house of indeterminate age on Cullahill." What is interesting is just how much archaeology and folklore you can see from up here. Looking to the east you can see Knockanora with a cairn on top, next is the hillfort of Garrangrena Lower and then the Devils Bit forms an interesting silhouette. I was really impressed with the views and the remains up here. Archaeology.ie describes the castle as "Situated on natural rock outcrop in...

The other prominent "Fire Hill" visible from Uisneach in Tipperary is Tonn Tinne. Now Tonn Tinne also has many other claims to fame other than this. During the middle ages, chroniclers when recording the story of the origins of the Irish are thought to have grafted a Biblical origin onto the story linking the first Irish people to Old Testament stories. The story goes that the first Irishman was Fintan mac Bochra who came with his 5 wives to Ireland before the Biblical Flood. One of Fintan's wives was Cessair the grand-daughter of Noah. What has this got to do with Tonn Tinne near Portroe I hear you ask? Well after the flood, Fintan was the only survivor as he managed to hide in a cave on Tonn Tinne known as Fintans Grave. Next Wikipedia says "He then turned into an eagle and then a hawk then back to human form. He lived for 5500 years after the Deluge, becoming an advisor to the kings of Ireland. In this capacity he gave advice to the Fir Bolg king Eochaid m...