This Martello Tower in Sandycove is one of a series of fifteen similar towers built around Dublin in 1804 to counter the threat of an invasion by Napoleon. The design was based on that of a tower on Cape Mortella in Corsica which had resisted a British attack in 1794. Not all of the towers survive today, …
Avondale House
Charles Stewart Parnell was a hero for my Grandmother, not only due to his politics and work, but, also, because she had a bit of a crush on him. My Grandmother read every book on Parnell she could find and watched every Parnell programme that was on TV. When her own children were small she …
Ceide Fields
A local man, Patrick Caulfield discovered the Ceide Fields when he noticed piles of rocks which were uncovered as he cut away some peat for fuel. It was only when Patrick's son Seamus, having studied archaeology, began to investigate further, that Father and Son started to fully understand what they had found. Investigations revealed a complex of fields, houses and megalithic tombs concealed …
Rathmichael Church
At the end of an anonymous laneway, you will find the ruins of the old Rathmichael Church and Graveyard. This is a graveyard that does not seem to have anyone recently interred in it. This Graveyard also has five Rathdown Stones and a Hole Stone, as well as the ruins of a Round Tower. The …
Seapoint Martello Tower
As part of the Summer of Heritage timetable, I attended the tour of the Seapoint Martello Tower in Monkstown. I had never been in a Martello Tower before, so I was curious as to what it would be like. The Tour Guide Jim, was correct when he mentioned that they are seen as mysterious. Growing …
Cabin Tully Heritage Week Walk
Liz from Cabinteely Tidy Towns led a walking tour from Holmwood in Cabinteely to the ruins of the two crosses and the Graveyard of Tully Church on Launstown Lane. On the way, Liz informed us about the ancient history that was in the area. We started at the Standing Stone (pictured below). Liz wanted to …
Tully Church & Crosses
Tully Church (or Tully of the Bishops, as it was known) and it's two crosses originate in about the 6-9th centuries. The name Tully of the Bishops indicate that the site must have been important if Bishops used to congregate there. The legend is that seven Bishops met here and built up their strength before …
Kill Abbey
This is another one of the places that I visited as part of the Summer of Heritage. The original site goes back to the 6th century and was dedicated to St. Fintan, the present building dates back to the tenth or eleventh century and replaced the previous old monastic building. This church is one of …
Stillorgan Obelisk
I decided to visit some of the locations in the Summer of Heritage Programme. The next few posts will cover some of the places I visited. My first stop was the Stillorgan Obelisk. The Stillorgan Obelisk was built in 1729, and is the first obelisk to be built in Ireland. It was built on the …
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