Summer Solstice Sunset at the Church of the Fairy Hill near Thurles Co. Tipperary

I had wondered about a potential summer solstice sunset from this site at Shyane to the Devils Bit or Barane Eile / Gap of Ely.

The Church and Graveyard at Shyane is known as Teampall an tSideáin, Church of the Fairy Hill.

"Shyane was bounded by Moyne, Rahealty, Thurles & Loughmore. Name is Teampall an tSideáin, Church of the Fairy Hill. The ruins are still on the hill from which it receives its name."
http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922209/4860869/5015955

You can clearly see that it is built on some kind of low mound and mythology and folklore may back this up.

Professor Ronald Hicks was writing a book on Sídhs or Fairy Mounds in Ireland and he said the following about a potential one near Thurles which I helped identify as this site. "From the Paps, according to "Two Tales about Fionn," Fionn went to Ely, centered on the barony of Eliogarty, County Tipperary, chasing Cul Dub, who jumps back and forth across the River Suir before going into a síd."

It is an exciting story to visualis, Fionn MacCuill hunting the Cul Dub or Black Hound from The Paps of Anu in Co. Kerry to the rich pastures of Tipperary and the hound evading capture by diving into a Fairy Mound.

So I’ve been waiting since 2016 to get a chance to view the potential alignment. However between bad weather and timing, I’ve never had the opportunity till last night. The 3D view of the Sun Seeker app seems to suggest that it would set somewhere near the notch in the mountains that forms the Devils Bit.

Sadly as the photos show, the sun doesn’t set in the notch from this position. Unfortunately not all theories work out but it is nice to finally put it to bed.

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The Tipperary Antiquarian

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