(A) We finally saw some old stones!! Our first stop this morning was to the Brownshill Dolmen. These stones were set here by farmers sometime between 4,000 and 3,000 BC. They constitute a portal tomb, and the capstone is reckoned to be the heaviest portal tomb capstone in Europe (weighing in at about 150 tons). Don’t ask me how they got those stones in place. It’s a marvel.
What I like most about structures like this is that they are the result of someone’s (or, more likely, some group of persons’) deliberate, intentional actions. These people had better things to do, but they spent the time and energy to arrange these humongous stones in order to accomplish something they regarded as worthwhile and important. Standing next to these stones — touching these stones — is an invitation to put yourself in the mindset of people almost exactly like us, except that they lived thousands of years ago. I think I could happily visit sites like this for the rest of my life without losing a sense of wonder and awe.
After that, we headed to Carlow. We heard that there would be a farmers market there, and there was! If you ask me, it was the best farmers market we’ve been to so far on this trip. There were crepes and sausages and jams and cheeses and pastries and coffee and veggies and meat and crafts. What else do you want?
From there, we walked to the Cathedral of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary. It was built between 1828 and 1833, and is an impressive Gothic Revival number. In addition to the stained glass and woodwork, the church features a statue of St. Patrick and a holy relic (one of St. Willibrord’s bones… possibly part of a finger). It’s also got an impressive pipe organ and the remains of six Bishops (ranging from 1834 to 2002). I lit a candle in honor of my mom.
We then walked over to Carlow College (a.k.a. St. Patrick’s College). I was there several years ago to present a paper at a conference, and the place looked pretty much as I remembered it. We walked to the posh hotel I stayed at when I was here, stopping at a Methodist Church bake and book sale on the way. Then it was back to the car and back on the road.
We wanted to see some more old stuff, so we went to the Killeshin Church. There was a monetary here in the late 5th century, but it “only” lasted 500 years or so. The present church (what was left of it) was built in the 12th century. There aren’t many arched doorways in Ireland that have triangular gables above them, and this is one of them. You probably knew that, though.
“More!” we shouted as we drove to the next old church. Our nest stop was the derelict ruins of the St. Osnadh's Church. We found it, but we couldn’t get very close. One reason was the sign on the church that says “Derelict Ruins: Keep Out”. Another was the guy doing some weed-whacking (or “strimming”, as they call it here). He looked like he didn’t need anybody in his way. Fair enough.
Next, we headed for the Altamont Gardens. There’s a big, fancy house there, which isn’t open to visitors. But that didn’t bother us because the gardens were so fabulous. Some of the trees there were planted in the mid-18th century. They line some really beautiful flowers and paths and lawns. If I had a picnic and a croquet set, I could spend a lot of time there.
Our last stop was in Tullow, a little town we visited a day or two ago. They’ve got a restaurant that we couldn’t resist. You can get pizza and Chinese food in one place! What will they think of next? With some food in hand, we headed back to the blacksmith cottage for the evening. Another wonderful day!
