Fionnuala (2) again had trouble sleeping in the middle of the night. We decided to start the morning in Málainn Mhóir in search of Megalithic tombs (returning to the seen of the crime). It turns out that they were fairly difficult to find and my memories of 14 years ago did not come through.
The entrance to the bar at Óstán Ghleann Cholm Cille
We did get a good look at Óstán Ghleann Cholm Cille (the Glen Bay Hotel) though. It was sad to see the place in disrepair. As you can see from the photos, it appears as if they just shut the door and left everything as it was on the last day of operation. In reception all the furniture is still there with brochures for local attractions on the tables! This was one of the few food options in the area for years as well as an additional bar. I usually ended up here about once a year for something. I saw Altan and The Revs perform in the Ballroom in 2001, spent the night there once and also attended a wedding at the hotel. In it's last few years they had added a 9 hole golf course that appears to be reclaimed as pasture. Hopefully, whoever buys it will be successful!
Óstán Ghleann Cholm Cille
At least the signs are bilingual
Reception at the Glencolmcille Hotel
Liam checks to see if there are any vacancies
The abandoned dining room
An Trá Bhán
Next, we moved on to the Silver Strand (An Trá Bhán) up the road in Málainn Bhig. The Silver Strand is one of my favorite places in the world. I love to come here and just sit and watch the sea. Unlike most similar attractions in Ireland, this one has two Port-A-Potties (Temporary Toilets) and a large car park. To reach the beach there are 165 stairs, so we opted not to try the steps with the children. They enjoyed the stop anyway! If you are up for it, the water is often reasonably warm because the water is shallow and the views from the beach are spectacular.
The Silver Strand Car Park
On the way home we tried to find Saint Kevin's/Cavan's Church (Teampall Chaoimhín). The Martello Tower is on the same road and looks like it is in great condition. The road isn't signposted but you can see the Tower, just head down the road that goes in that direction. The road is not paved beyond the pier and I would not recommend driving any further than that as it was difficult to turn the car around and it would have been virtually impossible on my own (there is picture below).
Maretllo Tower in Malinbeg
Martello Towers were built in the early 1800s as Napoleon was gobbling up Continental Europe. The British feared that the French would attempt to invade the Empire through Ireland. These Towers line the coast through this part of Ireland. From this tower you can see the Tower in Gleanncholmcille and one near Sliabh Liag.
The road to St. Kevin's Church
I found the church, but didn't go all the way down to it since it was a ways off the road and the rest of the family was in the car. In a couple of years, when Fionnuala can walk better we'll go all the way down to investigate. According to Michael Herity, the current church was built in the late middle ages. There is a cross slab at the site as well and the remains of a rectangular enclosure which surrounded the church. The site is opposite Rathlin O'Birne island and was used as a stop by monks and pilgrims on the way to the island which also houses a monastic site.
Teampall Chaoimhín in Málainn Bhig
Rathlin O'Birne Island
Teileann Bay
The Nuala Star leaving for a tour
We then returned to the house for Fionnuala's nap and lunch. After she woke, we took a brief spin down to the pier at Teileann Bay. We had seen what we thought might be a Holy Well (there is said to be one nearby) from across the water and wanted to check it out. We didn't find it, but we took some pictures anyway!
Though we didn't find the Holy Well, here is a picture taken from the well that might help YOU find it.
On the pier there is also an interesting marker that would be easy to miss. The Gallagher Bros. building (which is impossible to miss) is built around what turns out is an old church. There is also a marker which indicates that in the 5th Century some monks from Teileann sailed to Iceland and this is said to be their church. It would be easy to miss, and I passed by for years before I stopped to read the sign.
The marker at Teelin Harbour that honors the monks
The inscription in Irish, English and Icelandic
Station #1 of Colmcille's Turas
Then we head over to Gleann. We stopped by the Church of Ireland (St. Columba's) first. The current building was built in 1828 and is the prominent feature in the valley. Originally this was a monastic site, on the north and east sides of the church you can see remains of the original wall just beyond the current wall. Before the current church existed, the church used to sit above the entrance to the sous terrain.
I was hoping to see Bishop Daniel McGonagle's grave. He was one of Ireland's three representatives at the Council of Trent and local tradition has him buried here. The grave is supposed to be against the wall at the east end of the graveyard, but there is no indication of which grave it might be. There were however some other very old and interesting grave markers. The Church is also the beginning (Turas 1) and the end of Colmcille's Turas (Turas 15). Turas 1 is built on what originally was a court tomb, it is known as "The Altar" as has a small kneeling place just outside the churchyard wall.
Station #15 of Comcille's Turas
In the Church Yard is also a sous terrain. The monastic settlement's church floor was above it and it is thought that it might have been used for cool storage and also as a means of escape as the tunnel ends just outside of the churchyard walls. In the past you could just open it and go in, but it now has a proper door. For some reason when I went in years ago I didn't take any photos! I did find some on the internet though which you can view if you click here. If you get the chance to go inside, there are a few cross slab inside that are very similar to ones that are used in the Turas.
The entrance to the Souterrain at The Church of Ireland in Glencolmcille
Old Grave markers in Glencolmcille
The carving on this tombstone is the symbol of St. Columba. Colmcille means "dove of the church".
The Church of Ireland Churchyard, Glencolmcille
Next, we headed just a bit down the road to visit the Turas at Farranmacbride, which I wanted to show Sarah. From the church, we headed away from the sea and took the road to the left. After a large bend in the road is Turas 9. Cloch an Aonaigh (Stone of the Gathering) is an interesting cross slab as you can see below. Pilgrims look through the hole, place their backs against the stone and renounce the world, the flesh and the devil before circling the small cairn three times while praying.
Local tradition holds that couples would become engaged by standing on either side of the pillar and joining fingers through the whole. A crowd would be assembled to witness the ceremony, thus the name Stone of the Gathering. Sarah and I saw another similar cross at the Kilmalkedar Church a few years ago in Kerry.
Cloch an Aonaigh (Turas 9)
The cross at the top of the slab
The two carved circle at the bottom of the cross
Sarah wanted to see the Old Rectory, so we stopped by (but I'm not sure if you are supposed to). Either way, the younger locals have told me that is supposed to haunted. If not haunted, it is certainly a creepy place after dark.
The Old Rectory, Glencolmcille
On our way back through Cashel (the main village in Gleann) we paused for an attempt to recreate a photo that we have on our wall at home from the late 1800s. It's not exactly identical, but it's close.
The Glen Head viewed from Cashel village
To reward the children, we took them to the fantastic playground next to An Halla Muire. They had a fantastic time playing. We even heard a mother saying the Irish nursery rhyme, "Lamh, Lamh eile" to her child. We also got to hear an old man teasing the mothers on the playground for having a football, accusing them of not reading this sign. He then proceed to read it, emphasizing the part that says, "Don't play football in the park."
After a lot of hard playing we decided to leave. As we left, Liam said "Slán." to his playmate who responded in kind. Even though he played it cool, it made Liam's day. One of the things he was most looking forward to was being able to use Irish on the playground.
It was now time to eat and since we were leaving town in the morning we decided to splurge and eat at An Chistin (next to Oideas Gael). The meal was very good and the staff spoke Irish! I was fortunate to have someone I know walk in and be able to have a conversion as Gaeilge as well.
That was the conclusion to our stay here as we now headed back to the house to get ready for bed. Everyone is sad to be leaving, but at least we have a little time tomorrow to appreciate everything.
Gaeilge Experience: Gleann is often criticized for not being a "real" Gaeltacht, but we found Irish everywhere. Perhaps most of the locals do not use it as a primary language, but it is obviously spoken and easy for them to do so. It was a good final day in the Gaeltacht. Got to use Irish in the restaurant as well as being able to listen in on some locals using their Irish.
Fionnuala had trouble sleeping again last night, so Sarah ended up in her room again for most of the night. It was another nice day and the kids and Sarah were able to play outside after breakfast. We left the house about 10:30 with our house guest in tow and Málainn Mór (Malin More) as our first stop. We unloaded at Cloghanmore Court Tomb, and the children were able to climb all over it as we were alone.We weren't able to locate the decorations that make this sight unique though because we had to pay pretty close attention to the children. Liam found out what happens if you fall in nettles. I immediately thoughtt "Neantóg a dhóigh mé agus cupóg a leigheas mé." (I was stung by a nettle and cured by the dock plant) thanks to reading Rabhlaí Rabhlaí every night. Unfortunately, I had no idea what a dock plant looks like, so poor Liam was very uncomfortable for a while. In addition, there was some standing water in the tomb as well as sheep droppings which took away from the fun a little bit. The tomb is located near the Glencolmcille Wollen Mill and was very easy to access and has a small car park (signposted) and paved walkway from the car park to the tomb. After looking around Fionnuala was in need of a nap so we returned to the house for lunch.
The courtyard at Cloghanmore
The southern chamber
The courtyard viewed from the tomb
Liam in the southern chamber
Fionnuala in the southern chamber
Cloghanmore Court Tomb, Malinmore
The end of the Owenea Riverwalk
A few hours later we woke Fionnuala and went to Ardara. Éamonn needed to be there in the evening and Sarah wanted to buy a sweater so it made sense. Sarah found a nice one at Campbell's, then we took a stroll along the new walk that has been built next to the river.
Owenea River, Ardara
The happy family in Ardara
After the walk we went into Nancy's for a drink. The children had their first sodas ever - Club Orange - and thought it was wonderful. The children were great in the pub! We then made a brief stop for toys. Liam chose a mini Tennis racket set and Fionnuala chose a set of Princess colored pencils. Then we parted ways with Éamonn, used the ATM and got some pizzas from Aroma Pizza to take home with us. The pizza was good and then it was time for baths and bed. The children have been wonderful!
Gaeilge Experience: We were fortunate enough to have a native speaker in our house, so we could speak as much as we desired. It was nice to hear the children interacting naturally with someone in Irish.
4 July 2014
Fionnuala (2) still is having trouble sleeping. Each night she has coughed herself awake. So, most nights Sarah has ended up spending much of the night with her. By the time we were all awake, fed and ready it was again 10 AM. It was pouring rain today, so we decided to head to the Folk Village in Gleann Cholm Cille. This Folk Village was the brainchild of Father McDyer. McDyer arrived in December 1951 to a shrinking, dying, poor parish. Through his leadership and connections he led the creation of many jobs and got electricity brought to the rural parish. The Folk Village takes you through life in a village from the 1700s through the 1900s and includes information about Father McDyer and his role in the community.
It was a good choice! The guided tours begin at 11, so we did a self guided tour which allowed the kids to roam around at their own speed. Adult admission was €4.50 each and the children (under 7) were free.
The children test out the phone system
Liam (5) particularly enjoyed it. His two favorite houses were the school house (I played teacher and the children played student) and the house with the film because there was an old telephone system that the children enjoyed playing with. In all of the houses except for those two buildings, the items were very old so there is no touching allowed. Everything is posted bilingually (even a couple that were only in Irish) and Liam loved reading the signs in Irish. The woman in the shop happily spoke Irish to me and bid us all farewell in Irish as we departed.
Splashing in the puddles at the Folk Village
We made a brief stop in the Tea Room for some tea and a chocolate bar for the kids and then headed back to the house to meet our friends,Eilís and Peter. We visited for about an hour, by then it was clear and sunny outside so we decided to conquer St. Colmcille's Chapel and Well again.
Turas 4: Mullach na Croise
We parked in the same place as yesterday and easily walked over to St. Colmcille's Chapel (we weren't sure if we were in the right spot yesterday, but Sarah spotted it from up the mountain). To reach the Chapel you have to pass through some gates in someone's field. Turas 4,and 5 are together. Turas 4 is known as Mullach na Croise (Hieght of the Cross). This station has a cross pillar with a plain Latin cross on a cairn.
The Latin Cross carved on the cross pillar at Turas 4
Séipéal Cholmcille
Turas 5 is Colmcille's Chapel (Séipéal Cholmcille). The site consists of the Oratory or Chapel and three cross pillars on top of cairns, and a large slab of stone on the ridge overlooking the valley. The Chapel is where Colmcille is said to have prayed and spent time copying illuminated manuscripts.
As you enter the chapel there is a slab of stone in the corner to your right hand side, this is Leaba Cholmcille (St. Colmcille's Bed). In the picture below you can see an alcove with some stones in it above the Bed. Pilgrims pass one of the stones around their waist three times and then lie on the bed and turn over three times. The stones are said to cure eye disease and migraines!
Leaba Cholmcille
Liam passing the stones around his waist
The kids loved laying in Leaba Colmcille and passing the stones around their waists. Tradition holds that this was the site of the church that Colmcille founded in 561. The current building is probably from a few hundred years later and most of the crosses at the stations date from the 600s or 700s.
As you leave the chapel if you continue straight you will see a flat stone that overlooks the valley. This is called Leac na mBoon or Leac na hAthchuinge (Flagstone of Request). It is here that pilgrims declare their focus for the pilgrimage.
Liam sa Leaba Cholmcille
The sign to the well
After the Chapel we headed to the Well. The well is off to the right of the track that leads to the Martello Tower on the Glen Head. The walk to the well is long for children and Sarah did not make it with Fionnuala. We all made it to Colmcille's Chair (Station 6) though which is on the path to the Holy Well. This is said to be where Colmcille sat and rested as he looked down on the valley. The sign is missing for this station.
Station 6: Colmcille's Chair
Liam and I made it all the way, but the path is small and uneven (and on the side of the mountain). He did really well even though it was a tough walk. Liam really enjoyed the well! We left behind our three stones, took a sip from the well and said a prayer. The views from the well are spectacular, but it was hard to take it all in because I was worried about Liam falling.
St. Colmcille's Well
Icon of Colmcille (the paint has worn off)
Cross carved in stone slab next to Well
Cross on top of Colmcille's Well (likely from the 7th or 8th Century)
Colmcille's Chapel as seen from his chair (Turas 6)
Colmcille's Chapel and Turas 4 as seen from his chair
All in all, I would do it again with a 5 year old but Fionnuala is too small to walk this on her own (it's too dangerous) and the walk is too difficult to carry her (it would be too easy to lose your balance). This took much longer than we expected (an hour for both sights), so by the time we were finished we were late for meeting another friend.
We picked up our friend and took the kids to the shop at Oideas Gael to pick out some books and DVDs. By the time we finished it was time to return to the house and eat. After dinner, Sarah offered to put the kids down so Éamonn (our guest) and I could go into The Rusty for a pint. There is a new owner at The Rusty who is English and he was behind the bar, so we did not attempt any Irish with him. We spent a while visiting at the house afterwards and then it was off to bed.
Gaeilge Experience: The Folk Village in Glen was full of Irish and the woman there was happy to speak it. She even initiated our second interaction as Gaeilge. We also were able to converse with our house guest who is a native speaker. The shop in Oideas Gael was all Irish. Liam spoke to the woman in Oideas Gael with no trouble and was able to use his Irish with Éamonn as well. This was the best day for Irish so far and something that we certainly couldn't have duplicated outside of Ireland.
