Two Stone Circles

The truth is not in the touch of a stone, 

but in what the stone tells you.
~ Rene Denfeld, The Enchanted 

Butler House, Kilkenny Town

The secret garden music on Saturday, August 17th was to be at the stone circle at Butler House. But we had just been to Butler House. There was no "stone circle" there. Ah, but there was...a circle of squared-off and rectangular stones ring the pond at the center of the garden.*

At the center of the formal garden at Butler House is a pond filled with waterlilies and koi. Around the pond, we found a "stone circle" of some of the remnants of Nelson's Pillar.

Which battles? Perhaps remnants of "Trafalgar" and "Copenhagen"**

It is a bit of a mystery - how these stones managed the journey from Dublin to Kilkenny after the  destruction*** of the loathed tower honoring Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1966. Is their installation here a recognition of the Irish stone carvers' art? Is it an "inside joke" - remnants of a symbol of empire on display in what was once the garden of invaders/usurpers/occupiers? I'm not sure we know or will know. No one's talking.


Uragh Stone Circle, County Kerry

We have been taken to stone circles (Drombeg) and found some by accident (Kenmare). On this trip we had two free days to explore and hike. So we headed to Glengarriff to hike in the Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve. Nearby are a number of ancient sites and we settled on visiting the Uragh Stone Circle in the small part of the Beara Peninsula that is claimed by County Kerry.****

I had presented the idea to DH thus: It is up a national road, along a regional road, down a lane, through a gate, and then a short hike to the stone circle. [What this actually meant: There is a pretty good road, then a narrower road with enough room for two cars most of the time, followed by a track for one car only, and heaven only knows what the path will be like.] I suppose I forgot to mention the Caha Pass (I couldn't even look - I just held the camera over my shoulder and snapped. I've not even looked at the photos yet, but if I have anything I'll add them to the end here) which includes four tunnels carved into the mountain and crazy curves in the road.

A portion of the Google Map. It was only 44 Kilometers (27 miles) and would take an hour. There is a message in that.

Did I mention that it was sprinkling off and on?

The road narrows a bit here.

It was a good lane. And, fortunately, the edges were mostly solid. I've been down some where "pulling over" was impossible.

We had no way of knowing about the large truck that would meet us on the lane. [I jumped out of the car (and into ankle-deep muck) to direct DH over as far as possible on solid ground while the truck and a car passed us.]

The area is beautiful, set between two small lakes with mountains around. The sun was shining though the clouds. The hills glittered - water streaming down? quartz deposits? I do know that there is a large waterfall across one lake and were many stones - large and small - veined in quartz.

One of many quarts-veined stones.

As we reached the top of the small rise the circle appeared.

Down the path, overlooking a lake, with a waterfall in the background.

The circle.

While waiting for others to complete their visit we hiked down to the lake through some boggy area that tell-tale signs indicated was once a place turf was harvested. We noted bog cotton and other wildflowers before heading back to the circle.

Bog

Bog Cotton

Looking up from the bog.

Climbing up out of the boggy area.

A couple more views and we would head back to Glengarriff.

A good view of the circle, the lake, and the waterfall.

Stones speak.

The path back to the car. A sign just to the right explains the circle.*****

I did a double-take when I saw this bit of bogwood that had surfaced.

A small stream flows nearby.

Small island in one of the lakes

This is the lane near where the truck passed.

The highway tunnels on the way back....

These are a little clearer shots.

NOTES:

*In spite of the promises of one youngster, we saw no frogs in the pond. I realize this is totally off the subject, but frogs are important to us, as you well know.

** The plaque near the circle says:

All the King's Horses

At 1.30 am on the morning of the 8th of March, 1966, an explosion rocked Dublin's O'Connell St. The Irish Republican Army had blown up Nelson's Pillar in an operation called Humpty Dumpty.

As Britain's most famous Admiral, Nelson's death was honoured by monuments throughout the Empire. In 1809, on the 5th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, the Dublin Pillar opened to the public. It was the highest Doric column in the world, topped by a 13ft-tall statue of Nelson and around the base his most famous battles: Trafalgar, St. Vincent, Copenhagen, and the Nile.

To many, the pillar was a symbol of Imperialism - its bombing was timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. But even the rubble left behind was unwanted and these pieces were almost dumped. How they arrived in Kilkenny is still debated, but it seems that admiration for the stone carvers' skill is what brought them to the home of Irish craft and design. 

***https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson%27s_Pillar

And - just in case you are curious about the man who blew up the pillar - https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/funeral-of-man-who-blew-up-nelson-s-pillar-held-in-dublin-1.3284549

****This trip was "about the music" so that would be our focus.  But when you have a break between festivals it means you can see if there might not be a little spot or two to see. For more on this site:

http://www.megalithicireland.com/Uragh%20Stone%20Circle.html 

*****The sign at the "real" stone circle:

 

FINAL NOTES:

Many, many thanks to Jim Dempsey (and the team) at Megalithic Ireland! If you are going to Ireland and want to explore ancient sites in the area you visit (or use a tool to locate sites you might want to see) go here: http://www.megalithicireland.com/ This site has many ways to access the materials - an interactive map, sections on the different types of sites, a list by county etc. [Don't steal their work - no using photos without permission.] Jim was very helpful answering a few questions I had before our trip. 

Also, please be respectful. Many sites have religious significance. All are part of the history of Ireland. Speak quietly, pick up your trash, do not climb on the stones or step into areas where you should not be. Take only photos. You are a guest. Honor your hosts.