Youghalarra Carvings

Some carvings at Youghalvillage church outside Nenagh in North Tipp.
I took these initially because I wondered what the two circles were as part of the "ST. COE()' - it was only after I had took them that I checked the inventory more closely and it makes sense now. Some really interesting carvings here, some of them look to be fairly recent. I had hoped that in the dark and with the LED light that maybe I might have spotted something new but no luck on that front.

Archaeology.ie has this to say about them "These inscribed stones are built into the fabric of the church (TN014-045001) and are described with that entry. There is no need for a separate sub-element. Situated on the crest of a hill. A largely destroyed church (TN014-045001) constructed of roughly coursed limestone blocks. The S wall is best preserved, though the W end is gone. It retains some original features including a round-headed aumbry or piscina niche, though the piscina itself is missing. The external E end of the S wall is rendered with concrete with a gap to expose a round-headed single-light with external chamfer and splayed ingoings. The window is possibly composed of granite and is roughly dressed. On the E side of this window embrasure there is an incised Maltese cross and angel in a very naive style. A similar cross with angel on either side is carved in relief on the external S face of the church. At the W end of the S wall c. 2m above the external ground level a carved stone head (L 0.24m) protrudes from the wall - the hair is about ear length, the bulging eyes are near the top of the head, there is no nose, a long neck and a chin outlined by a curving groove. Beneath this head are three rectangular blocks of stone, one above two. The upper-most block has an incised inscription which reads 'ST. COE[ ]' and underneath this 'NE 433'. The lower W block has a Maltese cross and the E block has two angels as mentioned above."

The Blackfort near Puckane

Blackfort (c) NMS

This is a site with a great name - Blackfort, near Puckane in North Tipperary. It is defined as a "Belvedere" and part of a designed landscape. So I'm guessing a kind of folly. 

Archaeology.ie has this to say about it "Situated on crest of hill. 'Turret' is a square, gazebo-type feature (L 5.7m) composed of roughly coursed rubble limestone. Entrance in E wall at ground floor level. Ground floor lit by narrow, single-light windows with splayed ingoings centrally placed in N, S and W walls. Small put-logs survive in E wall to support a wooden floor. First floor has rectangular window opes in centre of N, S and E walls, the W wall is mostly destroyed at this level. No roof survives. Brick infill used to block bottom of N and S window opes. Alcove on either side of ope in E wall. Some internal plaster survives. The crest of hill on which this building stands is flat, with some small quarry hollows. There are low remains of very denuded stone wall (W c.2m) E of the 'turret', roughly level with interior and falls off downslope. There is a lot of outcrop protruding all around the site, not forming any defineable line. Just off the crest there is a slight lip formed of loose stones on N side (H c.1.2m). S side of hill is overgrown with gorse.."

Danny Grace says about it in his book 'Portrait of a Parish, Monsea & Killodiernan' ... "The name Turret Hill was derived from the ruin perched on top but the ruin has no connection with the original function of the site, which was a well-defended stone fort with fortifications encircling the top of the hill. The fort enclosed more than half an acre and had two defensive walls. The site was so badly damaged during land reclamation work in the 1970s that its original function is now barely discernible. Despite popular belief, the turret that now sits on the brow of the hill is not the ruin of an old castle but a folly built in the late eighteenth-century building (a belvedere or gazebo). It was built by the Minnit family of Annaghbeg for use as a picnic house and is known as Minnit’s Folly."

It reports that initially there was a Caher or Cashel on top of the hill and that it was a bi-vallette fort (two circles of stone walls) of 70m in diameter (which is the approximate size of the circular area at Blackfort) which would be very unusual for this area.
A hill-fort in Clare at Mooghaun (dated to the Bronze Age) had three stone walls so it is possible that this was originally a very old site.

Even more interesting is some old folklore about the hill and "The Fraughan Bush" - Mr Grace in his book on the parish of Kildangan 'Portrait of a Parish, Monsea & Killodiernan' writes "A strange tale associated with the turret hill recalls beliefs and practices predating the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The 'turret of Knigh' is the place mentioned in the story, but this was a common (if erroneous) name for the old ruin located at Blackfort. Michael Gleeson of Nenagh, the last Crown Solicitor for Tipperary, recorded an extraordinary story that he was told by 'a very decent-looking farmer' while travelling by train from Tipperary Town to Clonmel at the turn of the century. Discovering that Gleeson was from Nenagh, the stranger enquired if he knew of the turret of Knigh. 'I was once on it for a very special reason', the strange recalled, 'and you will scarcely believe me when I tell you what took me there'. The farmer had a brother who was married for some years, but had no children and he and his wife fell to quarreling. Friends of the couple secretly approached a 'wise woman' in the Glen of Aherlow and asked her to recommend a cure. 'Let some man friend of the husband come visit me', she invited, 'and maybe we can make things alright'.
The farmer reluctantly agreed to visit the 'wise woman'. She instructed him to journey to Nenagh, found out the turret of Knigh and walk up there alone on a fine autumn day. 'Go up to the crown of crown of the hill and search carefully for one single fraughan (billberry) bush growing up there', she commanded. 'Pluck a dozen ripe berries from the bush, hold them out in your hand, turn towards the hill of Knockshegowna and recite: 'Una, Queen of Ormon, grant these may be fertile and lucky'. The woman ordered him to bring the berries home, get milk fresh from the cow, steep four of the berries in it and give the potion to the wife to drink. He was instructed to repeat this on three successive mornings, then leave matters to develop. The farmer traveled to Nenagh, sought out the hill, found the berries, performed the ceremony. then hastened home. He visited his brother's house and used the berries as he had been instructed. The wife, secretly appraised of the whole affair, pretended not to know anything and accepted the potion as a cure for a bad headache. Relations soon improved between the couple - ten months later a son was born!"
What is also interesting is the use of billberries in the story - these were often associated with Lughnasa sites in MacNeills book on the subject. So lots of food for thought here!