I have always had a great interest in folklore and folk customs, so I was delighted to get a copy of the newly published Irish Customs and Rituals published by Orpen Press for my Christmas reading.
This is a wonderful book that details the rituals and customs carried out by past generations living in Ireland. Its a perfect book to dip in and out of or read cover to cover as I did with a pot of tea in front of the fire. I’m delighted that the book’s author Marion McGarry has agreed to share her knowledge relating to Irish Christmas traditions and has kindly answered a series of questions about how our ancestors in past generations celebrated Christmas. I hope you find this interview as interesting and informative as I do.
Marion, many congratulations on this wonderful book. How did you first become interested in Irish customs and traditions?
Thanks Louise. I grew up with some of these customs and rituals, and was aware of many more of them. But I became really interested in them when I was writing the book The Irish Cottage: History, Culture and Design. In parts of that book I discussed the house as a space to be safeguarded from supernatural activity and where rituals were performed at specific times of the year. The research for Irish Customs and Rituals really expands that and looks at common calendar customs, rituals of daily life and beliefs of important life occasions such as births, marriages and deaths, all from the 19th to mid twentieth century.
What also drove me on was the realisation that many people are not aware of these customs, but there is a huge interest there. And I thought that a well-researched but readable book would inform and entertain people.
As Christmas is almost upon can you tell us what a typical Irish Christmas was like? How did people in the past prepared for and celebrate Christmas?
Advent was a time of great preparation for Christmas in Ireland. First of all, people would go and do a massive spring clean of their house, and any outhouses, barns and so on. Inside and out would be pulled apart, tidied and given a fresh coat of whitewash. WE see this big spring clean is a feature of many Irish festivals, people cleaned their homes in advance of St Brigid’s day, and Halloween, too. Fuel was stockpiled. Decorations of holly and ivy were foraged and brought back home and used to decorate the house (and even the animals barns). This was the children’s’ job, and supplemented with their own handmade decorations. The Christmas tree usually comprised of a branch from a Christmas tree potted up, so that it was considerably smaller than what were used to today. This approach to decorating is much more sustainable, too. So was the approach to food – most things on the Christmas dinner menu in rural Ireland was grown or raised by the person eating it, and if not it came from the local community, goose, bacon, potatoes, winter vegetables.
Like all Irish festivals the big celebration started on sunset on the eve of the festival day, so on Christmas Eve in Ireland past candles were lit in windows (in a ritual manner, either by the youngest child or the mother of the house). This was to be a sign to show the Holy Family they were welcome to the house, as they sought an inn. Also, on Christmas Eve night, the door was left unlocked so the dead could return to the household, this custom was practised by many on Halloween for example. Greenery was placed on graves, too, over Christmas to remember the dead.
Christmas holly- an illustration from the book Irish Customs and Rituals
What are the main changes in how we celebrate Christmas today from how out grandparents would have celebrated it?
When I was growing up, I would hear my grandparents and people of their generation saying ‘sure its Christmas every day now’ as if to say that people had it good all the time. Christmas was a time for a bit of indulgence for people who had otherwise frugal lives. Decent food, sweet cake, a bottle or two of porter, a respite from work and a chance to wear the good clothes were all welcome diversions of a festival celebrated at a dark and cold time of the year. Today we can do these things any evening of the week. To people of my grandparent’s generation, luxuries, even small ones, were a huge novelty and you can imagine that Christmas was keenly anticipated. And they had a much humbler Christmas than we do today.
Nollaig na mBan or women’s Christmas is a very Irish tradition that has been embraced by Irish women in recent years, can you tell me us more about this tradition?
Occurring on 6th January (the Epiphany), there is an old tradition in certain parts of the country (mainly Munster) that it’s a day off for women. Roles are meant to be reversed, so the men have to do the housework while the women get a chance to socialise with their female friends, usually to have tea and cake. Death divination customs were practised on this day, where candles are lit and named for family members – the idea is that the candles burning out indicated the order in which death will occur.
Many people in modern Ireland will travel to ancient sites aligned with the winter sun for the solstice such as Knockroe and Newgrange passage tombs. Have you come across any customs relating to the winter solstice in the course of your research?
Not specifically. As most Irish calendar customs were appropriated by the Christian religion (a good example is Imbolc which became St Brigid’s day) one can imagine that whatever midwinter celebrations on 21st that occurred migrated across to December 25th. What’s interesting is that there are older non Christian (perhaps even ancient) customssurviving in there, the celebrations starting on the eve before, the spring clean, the death divination rituals, the appearance of wren boys on Stephen’s Day, the remembrance of the dead.
Marion this is a wonderful read and would make a great Christmas gift for anyone interested in Irish folklore and traditions.
Delighted you liked it Louise, it would make a great birthday gift too! The e-book is coming out soon which will make it even more accessible for readers and researchers.
Both The Irish Cottage: History, Culture and Design and The Irish Cottage: History, Culture and Design can both be purchased from Orpen Press and Irish bookshops
Over the last few years, I’ve visited alot of holy wells all over around Ireland. St Ailbe’s holy well in the village of Emly Co Tipperary is one of the most interesting.
The village of Emly can trace its origins back to a monastery founded by the Pre-Patrican saint known as Ailbe. The saint’s death is recorded for the year 528 in the Irish annals.
Repose of Ailbe of Imlech Ibuir
The Annals of Ulster 528
His monastery known as Imleach Iubhair ‘the lakeside at a yew tree’ went on to become one of the most important ecclesiastical sites in Munster and in later centuries Emly became a Diocesan centre.
The ecclesiastical site was located at the modern Catholic church and graveyard. Unfortunately little of the early or medieval ecclesiastical remains have survived.
St Ailbe’s Catholic Church Emly
The annals provide some insight into what Emly would have looked like. In 1058 the great stone church (daimhliag) and the round tower (cloictheach) were burnt.
Imleach-Ibhair was totally burned, both Daimhliag and Cloictheach.
Annals of the Four Masters 1058
A circular enclosure surrounded the main ecclesiastical buildings. The outline of the enclosure is still preserved in the modern road and field pattern surrounding the catholic church (Farrelly 2014).
Aerial view of the village of Emly Bing Maps
Further traces of the medieval past survive in architectural fragments incorporated into the modern graveyard wall. A stone plaque close to the main entrance to the graveyard and church which bears the inscription
LOCVS IN QVEM INTRAS TERRA SANCTA EST 1641 R. IONES PCENT
The inscription roughly translates as ‘The place wherein you enter is holy ground’ (Farrelly 2014 after pers. comm. Gerard Crotty).
Plaque with inscription LOCVS IN QVEM INTRAS TERRA SANCTA EST 1641 R. IONES PCENT’ located close to the entrance to Emly church and graveyard.
A medieval stoup, ‘consisting of bowl, shaft and base, composed of a conglomeration of sandstone, granite and quartz’ sits at the east door to the modern church (Farrelly 2014).
Medieval Stoup at eastern doorway at St Ailbe’s church Emly
The wall to the right of the entrance to the east end of the church incorporates two carved heads from the former medieval cathedral, along with the base of a medieval graveslab. All date to the 13th/14th-century (Farrelly 2014).
Medieval carved stone heads and graveslab in the wall opposite east door of the modern church.
St Ailbe’s holy well can be found in the north-eastern corner of the graveyard. It was probably used as a water source for the religious community. In 1898 the well supplied the surrounding village with water.
Image of St Ailbe’s holy well 1898 from Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1898, Vol. 4, No. 39 page 174.
St Ailbe’s well is a very deep spring found at the base of 5m deep circular dry-stone lined shaft (internal diameter of 1.2m). The Ordnance Survey Letter for County Tipperary written in the 1840’s suggests the well was 7m deep. The upper section of the shaft was replaced in the nineteenth century by a cut limestone surround. Accounts from the late 1890s recall that a railing surrounded the well.
St Ailbe’s holy well Emly
During the twentieth century the top of the well was covered by low concrete capping, incorporating a metal door/hatch. Today hatch provides a view into the interior of the well.
St Ailbe’s holy well
Due to the depth of the well a torch is required to see the interior in any detail . At the base of the well you can still see the water.
View into St Ailbe’s holy well
According to folklore the well was formed when
St. Ailbe jumped from the top of the hill of Knockcarron to where the well stands now and that is what caused the well to be there.
Archival Reference The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0580, Page 013
The well is still visited by local people throughout the year but rounds are no longer performed.
View of interior of St Ailbe’s holy well with flash
I have not come across any medieval references to pilgrimage at the well. Rounds were performed by pilgrims up to the middle of the twentieth century. Local folk memory recalls that a pattern day was held at the well on the 12th of September, the feast of St Ailbe.
Local memory and historical sources suggest that in the past the pilgrimage rituals were focused on the holy well and an early medieval cross, known as St Ailbe’s Cross. The cross is located a short distance from the well.
St Ailbe’s Cross Emly
Tradition held that the cross marked the saints grave (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0580, Page 011). The cross is made of sandstone and has an imperforate ringed cross. A small stone sits on top of the cross.
In the past pilgrims traditionally visited the holy well on the feast day of St Ailbe or within the Octave of his feast day.
In the 1930’s, pilgrims began their prayers by saying five Our Fathers and Hail Marys at the holy well. They then recited three rosaries while walking around the graveyard. If the pilgrim visited on a day other than the feast they carried out the same prayers at the holy well but recited nine rosaries while walking clockwise around the graveyard. Other accounts recall pilgrims walking around the well nine times and every three times they circle the well they say the rosary. They then made five rounds around the graveyard reciting the rosary on each round.
Pilgrims also visited St Ailbe’s cross. Its was tradition for all who passed the cross to make Sign of the Cross.
The Sign of the Cross is made by the people on it with three stones which are laid on top of it. Long ago the people used swear by the Holy Stone of Emly. Every time people respect it as they pass it by carving a cross on it with stones.
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0580, Page 016
The cross was also said to cure back pain when the back was pressed against the cross and a prayer to the saint uttered. People without back pain performed the same ritual to strengthen their backs.
When a person has a pain in his back he would get it cured by putting his back against the stone and praying to St Ailbe. When a person has no pain in his back and to do the same it would strengthen his back.
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0580, Page 016
The waters of the well are said to be a cure for rheumatism and also to repeal birds from damaging crops.
People take the water from the well to drink. When St Ailbe was young he was sent into a garden to keep birds off of it and since that people go to the well, and take water from it and sprinkle it on the corn to keep the birds away.
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0580, Page 013
Although there are no records relating to pilgrimage during medieval times, Emly would surely have possessed relics of the saint and attracted pilgrims. Perhaps the tradition of devotion to the holy well and cross may be much older then the nineteenth century.
Long, R. H. 1998. ‘Cashel and Emly Diocese. With a pedigree of Cellachan, king of Cashel, and an account of some other kings of Munster’ Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1898, Vol. 4, No. 39, 170-185.
O’Dwyer, M. and O’Dwyer, L. 1987. The parish of Emly: its history and heritage.
O’Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Tipperary collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840. Bray.
Some of you may already know, apart from my interest in pilgrimage, medieval and modern, I am also very interested in post medieval folk art. In 2016, I set up the Irish Folk Art Project to documents and records non funerary folk art around Ireland. Last year I was invited by Roisin O’Grady, the Tipperary Heritage Officer, to contribute part of my folk art research to the ‘Stories from the Landscape’ project.
‘Stories from the Landscape’ is a collaborative project between the Heritage Offices in Tipperary, Galway and Clare and the Galway Film Centre, supported by the Heritage Council. It consists of a series of nine short films, three from each county. Each film showcases a unique heritage story relating to the county.
Tipperary Stories from the Landscape
The Tipperary stories feature environmental Heritage of Tipperary with Gearoid O Foighil from Cloughjordan telling the story of Schohoboy bog restoration, social history of Mining in Slieveardagh area by former miner Michael Cleere. I was very honoured that my research on the Tipperary Folk Art was chosen as the archaeological story for the county.
My Short Film ‘A Cat with Two Tails’
My film showcases an aspect of my research on Tipperary Folk Art. It explores the links between a series of late 18th/19th century carvings of cats with two tails found in Tipperary and contemporary folklore about Goban Saor. It also show the results of a photogrametry survey of the Tipperary Folk Art commissioned by the Irish Folk Art Project and funded by the Tipperary Heritage Officer . The survey was carried out by Gary Dempsey of Digital Heritage Age.
Making the Film
Filming took place on a very cold day last Novemeber. The film was directed by Paul Murphy , with camera work by Ivan Marcos. It was a pleasure to spend the day working with these two very talented and professional people. Paul Murphy is also the director of the award winning short film The Weather Report (https://www.facebook.com/theweatherreportshortfilm/) which is playing as part of this years Irish Film Festival Australia.
Rock of Cashel Co Tipperary
Filming took place on location at a number of well-known Tipperary Heritage sites such as Holycross Abbey, the Swiss Cottage, and the Rock of Cashel.
View of Holycross Abbey from across the river
View of the cloister
View of Church from Cloister
All of the sites have folklore connecting them to the Gobán Saor and the story of his carving of a cat with two tails.
Cat with Two Tails Swiss Cottage
The film also shows how the carvings of the cats and the folklore of the Goban has influnced the work Tipperary sculptor David Gorey. David who is based in Fethard kindly allowed us to film in his studio.
Filming Workshop Sculptor David Gorey
Looking at modern carving of Cat with Two Tails at David Gorey’s Workshop.
I highly recommend that you check out some of the other films in the series for Tipperary, Clare and Galway.
On Thursday last I led a walking tour of the medieval walled town of Fethard in Co Tipperary for the Fethard Historical Society as part of Heritage Week.
The medieval town walls surrounding Fethard town( image Tipperary Tourism).
There are so many interesting sites and features within this walled town it would take you a day or more to explore them all properly. The aim of my tour was to highlight some of the lesser known carvings in the town such as heraldic plaques and masons marks. the tou
The tour began at the newly restored Tholsel Building which now houses the Fethard Horse County Exhibition.The Tholsel was first built as an almshouse by the Everard family circa 1610 and it subsequently housed the Fethard Corporation until it was abolished in 1840.
Fethard Tholsel
The building itself is very impressive but there are three very interesting plaques incorporated into the facade of the building, facing out over the main street in the town.
Crucifixion Plaque at the Tholsel Building Fethard
There is a lovely crucifixion plaque with a very hipster Christ figure nailed to the cross. The figure of Christ has long hair, a beard and moustache.The cross stands on a skull and cross-bones. The symbol of the skull and cross-bones is known as memento mori. It was used as a visual tool or a reminder to the passer-by of his/her own mortality.
Crucifixion Plaque at the Tholsel Building Fethard
The Christ is flanked on either side by Our Lady and St John. Underneath the crucifixion scene is a latin inscription which translates as
Dame Amy Everard, formerly Roche, relict of John Everard the younger, took care to affix these insignia on 10th May 1646, which the Everard founders and patrons of this building wished to do and were unable, being overtaken by death.
Beside the crucifixion plaque are two heraldic plaques. The use of heraldic emblems first began in the twelfth century when they were used on banners and shields of knights as a way to identifying knights on the battle field. They quickly became symbols of family name and lineage and were by aristocratic families.
Everard & Roche Heraldic Plaque at the Tholsel Building Fethard
The plaque above represents the two arms-bearing families of the Roches and the Everards. The families were united through marriage and the union is be represented heraldically on the shield of arms of the plaque. The husband’s symbols are on the viewer’s left, and the wife’s on the viewer’s right. In heraldic language the viewer’s left is the right, or dexter, side of the person bearing the arms, and the viewer’s right is the bearer’s left, or sinister.
The shield is divided per pale/ vertically. On the dexter side we see the Ermine field. Ermine is a black pattern based on the white winter fur with black tip at the tail of stoats. The fur was much sought after in medieval times and it was used for the linings of medieval coronation cloaks and some other garments of high-ranking peers and royalty. Above the ermine pattern are two silver mullets or stars the symbols of the Everard family. The sinister side depicts three fish swimming horizontally, the technical term for which is fish niant depicts the symbols of the Roche family. Over the shield is a helmut known as a helm this was very common motif in the sixteenth century heraldry. Sitting on top of the helm is a pelican wounding its breast with its beak to feed its young with its own blood. The pelican, is one of the few female beasts used in heraldry. In medieval mythology the female pelican wounded herself to feed her chicks. This symbol of sacrifice carries a particular religious meaning and is symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Over the pelican is a wreath or mantel. Below the crest is the ‘Everard motto Virtue consists in action’. Under this again are the initial JE and AR for John Everard and Amy Roche.
Plaque of Butlers of Dunboyne on the Tholsel Building Fethard
The second heraldic plaque depicts the symbols of the Butlers of Dunboyne. The plaque has a central crest, divided into quarters. The 1st and 4th quarter show three scallop shells over a chief indented. The second quarter had three covered cups refer to the office of the Butlers as the Chief Butler of Ireland. A title held from the late 1100’s when it was first given to Theobald Walter. Many branches of the Butler family used the covered cup in their coat of arms. The third quarter has a fess, this is a thick band which represents le Petit of Meath. If coloured the fess would have been black on a silver background. Over the shield is the helmut with ostrich feathers. On either side of the shield are what is known as supporters- a lion standing and a horse standing on their back legs. Under this is the motto The Fear of the Lord is the Fountain of Life. The name James Donboyne is under the coat of arms but looks like a later addition.
From the Tholsel we headed to Chapel Lane via Madame Bridge. Here we spent time looking at a nineteenth century plaque in the wall of a cottage. This plaque has been discussed on the Irish Folk Art Blog.
Nineteenth century folk art plaque at Chapel Lane Fethard
The tour ended at the Augustinian Abbey founded c. 1306. The friars lived here until the time of dissolution of the monasteries in 1540. The abbey then passed into the hand of Edmund Butler the Baron of Dunboyne. In nineteenth century the Augustinians established a presence here again and the current building was rebuilt in the 1820’s.
The Medieval Augustinian Abbey of Fethard
The Medieval Augustinian Abbey of Fethard
The abbey is a very interesting place and deserves a much more detailed post. The abbey has a very fine collection of fifteenth century masons marks.
The current building is multi period building. It is in the section dating to the fifteenth century that the masons marks occur. They are found on the very fine arches leading into the modern Lady Chapel.
Double archway leading into Lady chapel with masons marks
During the fifteenth century the Lady chapelthe chapel of the Butlers of Dunboyne.
Masons’ Marks were used by stonemasons for hundreds of years to identify their work in order to demonstrate their skill and to receive payment. They seem to have begun in Ireland following the Norman invasion and the adoption of the Gothic style of architectural in the mid to late thirteenth century. Each mason had his own registered mark which he scratched or chiseled on to the stones he carved. By looking and studying masons marks on different buildings it can be possible to identify the same mason and see the different places he worked.
Thirteenth century masons marks then to be angular lines often crossing lines. In Ireland by the fifteenth century masons marks had become very depicting masons marks had become very elaborate and many clearly show influence of older Irish traditions like the use of knotwork and interlace. Some are very fifteenth century Irish masons marks are very elaborate and its hard to tell if they are decoration or masons marks. South Tipperary has many fine examples of masons marks from this period for examples Holycross Abbey, Cahir Priory, Kilcooley Abbey and the parish church in Cahir and Molough Abbey.
The Fethard masons marks consist of simple L shape incised design, a leaf, several knots, a hand, a floral motif and elaborate interlace designs.
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Many thanks to all who turned out for the walk it was lots of fun and I’m sorry I could not get a chance to chat with everyone. As always I learned from those present regarding traditions of modern masons and masons marks and examples of folk art in South Tipperary.
I cant believe that I have reached number eight in my series of blog posts on the Irish saints and their animals. St Patick has previously featured with his miraculous cow and he makes an appearance again on account of his association with a magical goat. I’m very grateful to Christy Cunnliff the Galway Archaeological Field Officer for telling me about this story. Christy also writes the Galway Community Archaeology Blog.
As far as I know the story of St Patrick and his goat occurs in folklore in only two areas of Ireland, Co Galway and Co Dublin. If anyone has come across this story or variation of it elsewhere in the country Id be delighted to hear from you.
The story of St Patrick and His Goat from Co Galway
St Patrick and his goat appear in the folklore of east Co Galway in the parish of Abbert/Monivea. The saint is associated with a small holy well-known as Tobar Padraig (St Patrick’s holy well) located in Monivea parish graveyard.
Tobar Phadraig Monieva Co Galway
According to tradition St Patrick rested at the well and baptised the local people, indeed a rock at the side of the well with a slight depression is said to have been created by the saint when he knelt beside the well (Cunniffe 2016, 3). The holy well was once a place of pilgrimage and a large pattern day took place on the feast of the saint. The wall surrounding the well has a plaque dating to 1688 that depicts the saint standing on a serpent. Over time devotions waned but the well is still visited by a small number of people.
Plaque of St Patrick dating to 1688 at Tobar Phadraig Monivea
Stone with depression said to be the spot where St Patrick knelt at at Tobar Phadraig Monivea.
In another tale from the area when St Patrick arrived to the area he was accompanied by a goat. The Schools Collections recorded in the late 1930’s mentions two versions of this tales. In both tales milk is stolen from the goat and the saint places a curse on the area.
The Schools Collections for the parish of Crumlin records that
Patrick’s Well is a mile east of this school. There is a graveyard there and a blessed/holy well in it. Next to the well there is a stone/flagstone which has old writing on it. The people believe that St Patrick spent the night there on his journey to Cill Benín. It is said that someone milked a goat that St Patrick had with him that night and he cursed the people of the area. People would travel there long ago on St Patrick’s Day. There would be fighting and the priest put an end to these travels/pilgrimage. This happened about 80 years ago ( Crumlin School, The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0082, Page 186 translated from Irish by Paul Devane).
Crumlin School, The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0082, Page 186
A second version of the tale was also recorded in the Schools Collection at Kiltullagh
When St. Patrick was in Ireland long ago. One day he was travelling through Monivea and he had a Goat with him. He went into the church to pray, and whilst he was inside somebody in Monivea milked the Goat.St. Patrick was vexed, and when he was leaving Monivea he looked back and said that he hoped Monivea would be neither better or worse. So Monivea stands the very same way ever since and it is not better or worse (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0034, Page 0475 Kiltullagh, Co. Galway).
St Patrick and His Goat in Co Dublin
A variant of the tale is found on the east coast of Ireland in North Co Dublin at Skerries.
When St. Patrick was expelled from Wicklow by the pagan natives he sailed northwards and landed on a small island off Skerries, which is now known as St. Patrick’s Island in his honour. When the saint arrived on this island he had with him a goat, which was his companion and source of milk.
From this island St. Patrick came to the mainland to convert the local people. While St. Patrick was ashore on one of these visits some people from Skerries went out to the island and stole his goat. They killed the goat, cooked it and feasted on it. When St. Patrick went to the island he found his goat missing.
This made him very angry and in two giant strides he reached the mainland. The first step took him to the back of Colt Island and the second to Red Island, where he confronted the people of Skerries.
When they tried to deny interfering with his goat they found they could only bleat. When they were prepared to tell the saint the truth their voices returned. Where St. Patrick stepped onto Red island his footprint is to be seen in the rock to this day. Since then the nickname Skerries Goats is given to the people of the town to remind them of this deed (http://www.skerriesparish.ie/history).
In Skerries there is a bathing place called the “Spring Board”
In one of the rocks there is a hole in the shape of a man’s foot-print .
The people of skerries say it is the foot-print of St, Patrick; that when he was on one of the Island he stepped over to the mainland , where the “Spring Board” are now
This story is told by all the inhabitants of Skerries. (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0784, Page 91 Holmpatrick (roll number 14180)
Earlier Origins for the tale of St Patrick and his goat
Both of these tales seem to have evolved from a much older story earlier. In earlier versions of the story, the goat is eaten after being stolen and its bleating alerts the saint that it is in the stomach of the thief.
The blessed Patrick has a goat, which carried water for his service; and to this the animal was taught, not any article but rather by a miracle. And a certain theif stole the goat, and eat, and swallowed it. And the author or instigator or the theft is enquired: and one who by evident tokens had incurred suspicion, is accused; but not only denieth he the fact, but adding perjury unto theft, endeavoreth he to acquit himself by an oath. Wondrous was the event to be told, yet more wonderful to come to pass. The goat which was swallowed in the stomach of the thief bleated loudly forth, and proclaimed the merit of Saint Patrick. And to the increase of this miracle it happened, that at the command, nay rather at the sentence of the Saint, all the posterity of this man were marked with the beard of a goat (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18482/18482-h/18482-h.htm#chap6148).
A more paired down version of the story is found in the text the Tripartite Life of Patrick (Three Middle-Irish Homilies on the Lives of Saints Patrick, Brigit and Columba). This is the earliest example of a saint’s Life written in the Irish language. It was begun in the ninth century and modified in the twelfth century.
In this version of the tale we are told that members of the Uí Meith Mendait Tire ( whose territory was near Tara) stole and ate St Patrick’s goat and following their denial of the act the goat bleated from in their stomachs altering the saint to their treacherous deed.
And Patrick blessed the Assembly of Telltown, so that no one should ever be killed there at, and that only one should be killed at Rath Airthir, and he left his altar a Domnach Patraic. And Patrick went from thence into the territory of Ui Meith in Mendait Tire, and he tarried not in Armagh at that season, and he left holy elders of his people at Tech-talai. Then three of Ui Meith Mendait Tire stole (and ate) one of the two goats that used to carry water for Patrick, and came to swear a lie. It bleated from the bellies of the three. ‘My debroth’ said Patrick, ‘the goat himself hides not the stead wherein he is.’He afterwards went to the men of Bregia and mightily preached the word of God unto them, and baptized and blessed them.
It’s fascinating to see how the story of St Patrick and his goat has survived and adapted through the centuries before becoming established in the folklore of East Galway and North Co Dublin.
The main aim of the Society is to preserve and promote the Old Irish goat, the original and only landrace breed of goat in Ireland. The society was formed in October 2006, by a small group of enthusiasts who realized that the breed was rapidly heading towards extinction, but that its gene pool could be preserved if assertive action were taken.
To find out more about the old Irish Goat and conservation efforts check out the society website.
References
Cunniffe, C. 2016. Tobar Padraig Holy Well , A Significant Local Pilgrimage Site. Galway Community Archaeology Advisory Project Heritage Week August Unpublished Report.
O’Leary, J. 1874. The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings. Illustrated with the Most Ancient Engravings of Our Great National Saint; With a Preface and Chronological Table. New York: P. J. Kenedy, No. 5 Barclay Street.
Schools’ Collection, Volume 0784, Page 91Holmpatrick, Co Dublin (https://www.duchas.ie)
This is part seven in my series of posts about the saints and their animals. This post features St Ciarán of Saighir, the founder of the great monastery of Seir Keiran in Co Offaly and his cow.
Site of St Ciaran’s monastery Seir Keiran Co Offaly
This story was recorded in the Irish Life of St Ciarán of Saighir, compiled in the seventeenth century. The text recalls
a thief came westward over the Slieve Bloom, and stole a cow from Ciarán.
Below is a location map showing the location of Slieve Bloom Mountains and the monastic settlement of Seir Keiran.
After Google Earth location map of Seir Kieran monastic settlement and the Slieve Bloom Mountain range.
There is no mention of the cow having any miraculous abilities like the cows of the other saints, however, divine intervention stops the progress of the thief allowing the cow to escape and return to her rightful owner. As the thief is crossing a river the waters rose and drowned him and the cow to the saint.
Mist and unspeakable darkness rose against him, and a river so strong in flood, so that he was drowned, and the cow returned to Ciarán again (BNÉ, Vol. II, 105).
Last year I began a series of post on the saints and their animals. Continuing with this theme this post will look at the folklore and legends of cows associated with the great ecclesiastical complex of Kilmalkedar /Cill Maoilchéadair in the Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry.
Kilmalkedar medieval church part of the the Kilmalkedar Ecclesiastical Complex
The site of Kilmalkedar consists of a large ecclesiastical complex with archaeological remains dating from the early medieval to late medieval period. It is dedicated to a little known saint called Maolcethair, whose death was recorded in the martyrology of Donegal (Cuppage 1986, 308). The site was also linked to St Brendan and was part of the pilgrim landscape of the Mount Brandon. Unlike the previous tales about the saints and their animals ( Ita and her donkey, Patrick and his cow, Ciaran and his cow, Manchan and his cow), St Maolcethair is not directly associated with any animal but ecclesiastical complex has two interesting folk tales that relate to miraculous events associated with cows. These stories are embedded in the physical landscape.
The Cow and Thief’s Stone
One of the stories concerns the theft of a cow, a familiar theme from the earlier posts in this series. The story goes that a thief tried to steal a cow from the community at Kilmalkedar. The cow bellowed, which woke up one of the monks. One of the monks
‘caused the thief to stick in the stone which he was climbing and the hoof of the cow to get embedded in the stone on which she had alighted from the fence. The thief set up a howling form pain and fright and prayed humbly for mercy and forgiveness. The holy man released him and warned him to sin no more. The imprints of the thief’s knees are to be seen to the present day and the impress of the cow’s hoof is also discernible’ ( Dingle Survey Files after mss of John Curran, unpublished OPW file).
1st ed OS map of Kilmalkedar (1842) showing the site of the Cow stone and Theifs stone.
Until 1967 two stones known as the cow and thief stone were located on either side of the road close to the church and graveyard at Kilmalkedar, they were set 150m south of the graveyard and some 350 yards northeast of (KE042-028). Both were recorded on the 1st edition OS map of 1842. Unfortunately the cow stone has now disappeared, both stones were set on either side of the roadway until at least 1967. The cow stone (KE042-02701) was located on the west side of the road and the thief stone (KE042-027) on the east. Killanin & Michael (1967, 96) described the two stones as standing stones and the Dingle Survey notes that the theif stone ‘stood 0.81m high at the base’ (Cuppage 1986, 323). However descriptions in the Dingle Survey Files suggest that the cow stone was a flat stone.
View of the road outside if Kilmalkedar Graveyard the Cow and Thiefs Stones were located 150m to the south.
A story recounted by Mary Jane Leadbeater Fisher in her book Letters from the Kingdom of Kerry: In the year 1845 also records the tale but in her account the story is linked to another archaeological feature of the landscape, a large multi basin bullaun stone know as the Keelers or na Beirtí (Milk Coolers).
A cow is the subject of this legend—a cow of size and breed suited to provide milk for the giant race of those days. We saw the milk vessels, and if she filled them morning and evening, she was indeed a marvellous cow. In a huge flat rock were these milk pans; six large round holes, regular in their distances from each other, and nearly of equal size; they could each contain some gallons of liquid. This said cow gave sufficient milk for one whole parish; and was the property of a widow—her only wealth. Another parish and another clan desired to be possessed of this prize; so a marauder, endued with superior strength and courage, drove her off one moonlight night. The widow followed wailing, and he jeered her and cursed her as he proceeded. The cow suddenly stopped; in vain the thief strove to drive her on; she could neither go on, nor yet return; she stuck fast. At length, aroused by the widow’s cries, her neighbours arrived, and the delinquent endeavoured to escape. In vain—for he too stuck fast in the opposite rock; he was taken and killed. The cow then returned to her own home, and continued to contribute her share towards making the parish like Canaan, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” The prints of her hoofs, where the bees made their nests, are still to be seen in one rock ; and those of the marauder’s foot and hand in another, where he was held fast by a stronger bond than that of conscience (Leadbeater Fisher 1847, 48).
The ‘huge flat rock’ she refers to seems to be a large stone known as the Keelers or ‘Beirti’. This is a large irregular, shaped bullaun stone (KE042-026007) located 50-60m northwest of the Romanesque church at Kilmalkedar. The stone has seven depressions of oval and circular shape with depths of 0.04-0.25 diameters 0.22-0.42m diameter. This stone is associated with a magical cow known who is known in folklore form other parts of the country.
Unicode
The legendary cow was the Glas Ghoibhneach, she was said to a have been a marvellous milker. The Glas Ghoibhneach translates as ‘the grey of Goibhniu’. Goibhniu was a mythical smith who likely derived from a god of the same name. The legend of the cow is very old and widespread across Ireland. According to O’hOgain
legend told of her all over Ireland describes how she filled with milk every pail put under her by her unnamed owner. However, a jealous woman claimed that she had a vessel which the Glas could not fill, and accordingly she brought a sieve and began to milk the great cow. The Glas yielded a continuous stream of milk, enough to fill a lake, but it all ran through the sieve. Eventually, she became exhausted by the effort and died.
The tradition from Kilmalkedar tells that the glas was milked into the basins of the rock by the monk from the monastery (An Seabhac 1939, 117). Interestingly additional stones associated with the magical cow are found a few miles to the southwest, the stones are a pair of standing stones known as ‘Geata an Glas Ghaibhleann’ or the gate of Glas Ghaibhleann.
I would like to thank the wonderful archaeologist Isabel Bennett for all her help with pointing out sources for these stones
References
An Seabhac. 1939. Triocha-Chéad Chorca Dhuibhne. Cuid IV. Dublin: An Cumann
le Béaloideas Éireann, 117.
Cuppage, J. 1986. Archaeological Survey of the Dingel peninsula. A description of
the field antiquities from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century A.D. Oidhrecht
The recent arrival of cold weather and a conversation reminiscing with my mother about the strong wind wind that whipped the roof off her garden shed a few years back, reminded me of one of the Ordnance Survey Letters written by John O’Donovan in 1839 while in Co Wicklow. The letter in question refers to what was known as the ‘Night of the Big Wind’/ ‘Oiche na Gaoithe Moire’, a terrible storm that swept across Ireland on the 6th-7th January 1839. The storm cause a massive amount of damage around the country and its effects were such that the event lived in the minds of the people for decades to come. The foricity of the storm was such that it made its way into oral history of the county.
Description of the Devastation caused by the ‘Night of the Big Wind’.
All across the country, hundreds of thousands of people awoke to the sound of the furious tempest, their windows shattered by hailstones, their brick-walls rattling, their rain-sodden thatched roofs sinking fast. As the wind grew stronger, it began to rip the roofs off houses. Chimney pots, broken slates, sheets of lead and shards of glass were hurtled to the ground. (Rather astonishingly, someone later produced a statistic that 4,846 chimneys were knocked off their perches during the Night of the Big Wind). Many of those who died that night were killed by such falling masonry. Norman tower houses and old churches collapsed. Factories and barracks were destroyed. Fires erupted in the streets of Castlebar, Athlone and Dublin. The wind blew all the water out of the canal at Tuam. It knocked a pinnacle off Carlow Cathedral and a tower off Carlow Castle. [3] It stripped the earth alongside the River Boyne, exposing the bones of soldiers killed in the famous battle 150 years earlier. Roads and railway tracks in every parish became impassable. All along the Grand Canal, trees were pulled up by the roots and hurled across the water to the opposite bank (Bunbury 2009)
For those of you who don’t know, the Ordnance Survey of Ireland was established in the year 1824, to undertake a townland survey of Ireland and to map the entire country at a scale of 6 inches to one mile, for the purpose of the creation of a tax system. The mapping was completed by 1842, and a full set of maps exists for each Irish county. The maps and later editions can be viewed on the Ordnance Survey of Ireland website.
The Ordnance Survey Letters are manuscripts containing the surveyors’ field notes, commentaries and correspondence to the Ordnance Survey headquarters in Dublin during the mapping. John O’Donovan (1806-1861) was a historian who worked for the Ordnance Survey. He led the information collection part of the project, many of the surviving letters were complied by him. The letters are of great use to historians and archaeologist as they provide information on placenames, details on topography and often detailed description of historic sites such as castles, ringforts and churches. The letters are also interesting as they occasionally provide a ‘unique glimpse into everyday life in many parts of Ireland in the years leading up to the Great Famine’.
Ordnance Survey Letter –Rath na Riogh Meath (taken https://www.ria.ie/library/catalogues/special-collections/modern-manuscripts/ordnance-survey-ireland-archive
They also occasionally give a glimpse of the day-to-day lives of the compilers and their everyday trails and tribulations.
One of my favourite letters dates to January 1839 and relates to John O’Donavan’s journey from Baltinglass to Glendalough Co Wicklow and his stay at Glendalough during the ‘night of the Big Wind’. O’Donovan travelled with Thomas O’Connor who also worked for the Ordnance Survey. The letter decribes the details of the journey and the stay at Glendalough with such detail, that you almost feel you are withnessing the events unfolding. You also get a rare glimpse of the personalites of O’Donavan and his survey team.
According to the letter the pair travelled first from the town of Baltinglass to Blessington and then on to Glendalough. The distance between Blessington and Glendalough was according to O’Donavan ‘only sixteen miles’ and was undertaken on foot. In modern Ireland where we all rely so heavily on cars and buses, the thoughts of walking sixteen miles seems out of the ordinary but during the nineteenth most journeys were by foot so O’Donavan and his companion were undaunted. The route from Blessington to Glendalough would have taken the pair over the mountains into the Kings River Valley through the Wicklow Gap and on to Glendalough. This route was used by pilgrims visiting Glendalough for centuries.
We left Baltinglass on Friday and travelled by car to Blessington, expecting to be able to get a car thence to Glendalough: but the Hotel Keeper would not send a car thither at the usual price per mile and I was not willing to give him more. So on the next morning, which promised to produce a fine hard day; we set out for Glendalough on foot across the mountains, thinking nothing of the distance, which is only sixteen miles around the road.
The initial part of the journey seems to have been quiet pleasant until the weather changed and it began to snow.
We came on in very good humour for seven miles, stopping on the way to look at old churches, but when we reached the side of what they called the Cross Mountain, the day suddenly changed its aspect, the snow fell in luxuriant heavy leaves (drops) and before we reached the top of the mountain we found ourselves in the middle of a snow storm.
Managed to survive Art O'Neill challenge over the Wicklow mountains today. Not too bad except for the odd snow storm! pic.twitter.com/7VY45X9mfh
The onset of heavy snow caused some concern for O’Donavan. Despite his companions wishes to keep going, for safety reasons he decided they should head back towards civilisation, a wise decision given the remoteness of the area they travelled through and the lack of available shelter. The pair turned back and found shelter at Charley Clarke’s public house.
I stopped short and paused to consider what it was best to do. The clouds closed around us and the wind blew in a most furious manner. Here we met a countryman who told us that the distance to Glendalough was nine miles, that the road was for six miles uninhabited, and that the last flood has swept away two of the bridges. I got a good deal alarmed at finding ourselves a mile and a half into the mountain and no appearance of a cessation of the snow storm. I told O’Conor, who was determined to go on, that I would return, that I did not wish to throw away life to no purpose. I returned! (Coward) The whole side of the mountain looked like a sheet of paper horribly beautiful, but the wind was now directly in our face.
From O’Donavan’s account Clarke’s inn was a bit of a dump. The room was damp and cold and if events happened today O’Donavan certainly wouldn’t have given the inn a good review on Trip adviser.
We returned three and a half miles and stopped at Charley Clarke’s public house, where we got infernally bad treatment. The next morning, I felt very feverish from having slept in a damp bed in a horribly cold room.
The weather seems to have improved the following day and O’Donavan ‘ resolved’ to carry on with the journey to Glendalough. Having caught a chill from the night before, he must have felt rotten as he began his journey.
… seeing that the snow began to thaw and it being Sunday, I resolved to go on to the Churches[Glendalough]. I never felt so tired!
Although the weather had improved the conditions of the journey were far from pleasant. The heavy covering of snow disguised hollows in the ground which made the terrain more difficult to navigate. Having occasionally had to worked while sick in winter on archaeological sites I can sympathise with and imagine how wretched O’Donavan felt as he set forth.
Sinking thro’ the half dissolved masses of snow and occasionally down to the knees inruts in the road, which proved exceedingly treacherous as being covered with the snow. One of my shoes gave way and I was afraid that I should be obliged to walk barefooted.
We moved on, dipped into the mountain, and when we had travelled about four miles we met a curious old man of the name Tom Byrne, who came along with us. We were now within five miles of the Glen but a misty rain, truly annoying dashed constantly in our faces until we arrived at Saint Kevin’s Shrine. Horribly beautiful and truly romantic, but not sublime!
I came across this you tube video of Wicklow Mountains in the snow. Imaginine travelling on foot in these conditions.
When they finally arrived at Glendalough the pair booked into the local hotel. Their feet and clothes must have been soaked, and O’Donavan purcases a pair of wool socks. Having changed clothes they headed off to explore the ruins of Glendalough, which must have been quite impressive in the snowy landscape.
Fortunately for us there is now a good, but most unreasonable expensive kind of a hotel in the Glen, and when I entered I procured a pair of woollen stockings and knee breeches and went at once to look at the Churches, which gave me a deal of satisfaction. (I looked like a madman!)
The ruins gave O’Donovan ‘ a deal of satisfaction’ and he must have felt the awfulness of the previous day was behind him.
However ,things soon began to go down hill when they returned to the hotel later that evenining. Following a ‘bad dinner’ they retired to their beds, unaware one of the worst storms Ireland had ever seen was on its way. O’Donavan’s mind was full of work he writes that could not sleep, thinking of all he had to do and for fear of further snow.
We got a very bad dinner and went to bed at half past twelve. I could not sleep but thinking of what we had to do and dreading a heavy fall of snow, which might detain us in the mountain. O’Conor fell asleep at once.
Around 1 o’clock the storm hit Glendalough.
At one o’clock a most tremendous hurricane commenced which rocked the house beneath us as if it were a ship! Awfully sublime! But I was much in dread that the roof would be blown off the house.
O’Conor seems to have been obvious to what was going on around him and continued to sleep soundly much to O’Donavan’s annoyance.
I attempted to wake O’Conor by shouting to him, but could not.
The wind continued unabated. Around 2 o’clock things took a nasty turn when the window of their room blew in. With difficultly O’Donavan managed to close the shutters of the window, holding them shut with his body, only moments later for them to be blown open again by another gust of wind and O’Donavan thrown across the room with the force of the wind.
About two o’clock the storm became so furious that I jumped up determined to make my way out, but I was no sooner out of bed than the window was dashed in upon the floor and after it a squall mighty as a thunderbolt! I then, fearing that the roof would be blown off at once, pushed out the shutter and closed it as soon as the direct squall had passed off and placed myself diagonally against it to prevent the next squall from getting at the roof inside, but the next blast shot me completely out of my position and forced in the shutter.
Only now did O’Conor wake up!!
This awoke O’Conor who was kept asleep as if by a halcyon charm!
O’Donavan closed the shutters again and his companion went to seek help from the hotel staff. Eventually the ‘man of the house’ secured the window.
I closed the shutter again despite of the wind and kept it closed for an hour when I was as cold as ice (being naked all the time). O’Conor went to alarm the people of the house, but he could find none of them, they being away securing (saving) their cattle in the outhouses which were much wrecked by the hurricane. The man of the house at last came up and secured the window by fixing a heavy form against it.
Poor O’Donavan spent the rest of the night in the kitchen. I get the sense that the hours that followed were not any less dramatic.
I then dressed myself and sat at the kitchen fire till morning. Pity I have not paper to tell the rest.
The next day the damage of the storm became clear, many homes in the area were badly damaged.
A tree in the Church Yard was prostrated and many cabins in the Glen much injured.The boat of the upper lake was smashed to pieces. The old people assert that this was the greatest storm that raged in the Glen these seventy years. We go on to-night to Dublin by the coach which passes here at one o’clock. O’Conor returns to Blessington to finish the barony of Lower Talbotstown.
Being on a tight scheduled the pair boarded a stage coach and head on their way and so the letter ends.
Corlett,C. & Medlycott. J. 2000.The Ordnance Survey Letters – Wicklow. Published by Roundwood & District Historical & Folklore Society and Wicklow Archaeological Society.
The first day of winter is upon us, in ancient times this day was celebrated as the festival of Samhain ( 1st November). The eve of this day was also of great importance and was known as Oíche Shamhna ( night of Samhain) or Hallowe’en. The name Hallowe’en derives from the fact this is the evening before the Feast of All Saints (The Hallowed Ones).
Where I’m from everyone pronounces the ‘a’ in Halloween. I asked my parents about this and they told me this was how they and my grandparents had always pronounced the word. Ive been doing a lot of driving recently and I have noticed that everyone on the radio pronounces the ‘a’ as a ‘o’ saying Holloween. I wonder is this a new development?
Halloween Traditions
When I was a child Halloween was pretty low key in our house but great fun. We usually celebrated the event with our cousins who lived near by and we would play bobbing for apples, where a large basin of water was placed on the table and we each took turns fishing the apples out of the basin. This was no easy feat as you had to use your our teeth, keep your hands behind your back. We would eat lots of sweets and tell ghost stories. I don’t remember dressing up in costume but we always had a plastic masks that we bought at the pound shop or made from a cereal box. There was always barm brack a type of light fruit cake which I hated but would pretend to eat in the hope of getting the slice of cake with the coin inside. Traditionally, a ring and a coin were baked into the cake. If you got the coin would be rich and if you got the ring you would get married.
I visited the National Museum of County Life at Turlough Park Co Mayo this summer. The museum has a really interesting exhibition on the old Halloween traditions celebrated in Ireland. The wearing of masks is an old Halloween tradition in Ireland and the exhibition includes a number of Irish traditional Halloween Masks called Fiddle Faces. There was a long standing tradition of gangs of masked boys going to each farm house in the district in order to receive food or money, doing mischief if they were not well received.
Halloween Masks called Fiddle Faces at the National Museum of Ireland
Halloween Masks called Fiddle Faces at the National Museum of Ireland
Hallowe’en was also known as ghost night or spirit night and the souls of the dead were expected to return to the family home. Evil spirits were also thought to be active and people avoided travelling alone on this night (Museum of Country Life website)
It not surprising then that special crosses were made and placed above the door to protect the home from bad luck for the coming year. This Halloween Cross is from Barr Thráú, Iorrais, Mayo and is on display at the National Museum of Ireland-Country Life.
Another very old tradition was the carving of turnips into a figure known a Jack O Lantern. In my opinion the turnips are terrifying when compared to the pumpkin.
According to folklore, the Jack O’Lantern is named after a blacksmith Stingy Jack who tricked the devil into paying for his drinks. Unable to enter heaven or hell when he died, the devil threw him a burning ember.He was left to wander the earth carrying it about inside a turnip – or should that be a pumpkin? (Fowler 2005)
Jack O Lantern on display at the Museum of Country Life Co Mayo
Irish immigrants took the tradition of Jack O’Lantern to America where pumpkins were substituted for turnips. The Jack O Lantern below was traditionally carved in (Fintown) Baile na Finne, County Donegal Gaelltacht, c. 1903 .
Jack O Lantern below was traditionally carved in (Fintown) Baile na Finne, County Donegal Gaelltacht, c. 1903 National Museum of Ireland .
In recent years in Ireland the turnip has been slowly replaced by the pumpkin which is now widely available in supermarket. There is a perception that the turnip is difficult to carve and the pumpkin is less work. There are however benefits to making the effort and carving a turnip for Halloween, turnips last longer then pumpkins when carved. In my opinion they have a lot more character then the pumpkin. You get more for your money, three turnips are the price of one pumpkin. You can also turn the turnip leftovers into dinner. My tip for anyone who wants to try carving a turnip is to use a melon baller to scope out the inside.
My attempt at carving a Halloweenturnip
My attempt at carving Halloween turnips
If you can I highly recommend a visit to the permanent Halloween exhibition at the Museum of Country Life.
Folklorist Barbara O’Flynn tells Marian Richardson about the different ways Halloween is celebrated in urban and rural areas. She says bonfires and trick or treating are customs associated with the eastern half of Ireland, but they are now spreading throughout the country. Halloween was traditionally marked in the West of Ireland by playing practical jokes, like throwing cabbage against people’s doors or switching gates on farms.Divination is still widely practised, with four plates used to foretell death, marriage, prosperity or travel. The return of the dead remains a big part of Halloween, and an example of the overlapping of Christian and pagan traditions, which is seen throughout Irish folkore ( RTE Archive)
The tweet below also has links to the RTE Halloween Archives.
I recently was reminded about a really interesting carving I noticed on my last visit to Kilmacduagh, Co Galway.
View of the monastic ruins of Kilmacduagh
Kilmacduagh is an early medieval monastic site founded by St Colman son of Duagh in the seventh century. The site is located a short distance from the town of Gort Co Galway. Today the surviving ruins of the monastic settlement consist of a round tower, a cathedral, two smaller churches and a small Augustinian abbey. I am planning to do a much more detailed post on the site in the coming months.
The cathedral is the largest of the surviving buildings and also possibly the oldest structure at the site. It was probably originally built in the tenth or eleventh century it was extended in the twelfth century and remodelled again in the fifteenth century.
The church has many interesting features that are worth discussing in more detail but for the purpose of this post I will only highlight a very unusual carving.
The carving can be seen just inside the doorway of the north transept, on the right-hand side as you walk into the transept from the nave.
View of the doorway of the north transept
The carving consists of a large face cut into a sandstone block of stone. It is an oval shaped face, of a bald male, with two large ears, almond shaped eyes and a broad smiling mouth. All of his features combine to giving the figure a rather happy expression and when I first noticed the face I could not help but smile back.
Smiling face carved into the entrance of the north transept at Kilmacduagh
The carving is most unusual and I have not seen anything comparable in all my travels. Are any of you aware of similar type carvings at other church sites in Ireland or Britain? If I find out anything else about the happy face I will let you all know.
Pilgrimage In Medieval Ireland 