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.
We all woke a little before 8 this morning. The weather was nice again in the morning, but rain and clouds were expected later in the day. So, we went to Cill Charthair (Kilcar) to see what was there. We drove the coast road from An Carraig (Carrick) and were treated to some stunning views, especially of a Ring Fort. We did some exploring for a Meglaithic Tomb that was on our map near the Pier, but it was really tough driving and we aren't sure we ever found the location. We ended up in the village and got out to take it all in. We popped into the Centra, where my "Maidin mhaith." was greeted in English.
SIDENOTE: Cill Charthair is inside the Gaeltacht boundaries, but is not considered an Irish speaking village by most. About 20% of the residents are native speakers and most of those are adults. It is interesting to note, that in the shops in Gleann they could speak to me in Irish even though they probably don't use it as their first language. Cill Charthair is currently (the last 10 years or so) trying to do more to encourage use of the language. Hopefully this will result in an increased amount of Irish usage in the area.
After the Centra we went into the Community Centre (Áislann) that had tourist information listed as one of it's features. It is located just across the river next to the Irish Summer College. Everything is signposted bilingually and the language was prominent inside the building. The Tourist Information desk had lots of flyers, brochures and maps and a very helpful man inside (working on the building). I began by asking what there was to do in Cill Charthair and explained that we were looking to see whatever the village had to offer. He suggested the coast road and some other scenic drives. I inquired about the old church (that the village is named after) because I had seen mention of it on the internet. He eventually realized which church and then told me about the old church, three holy wells in town (as well as St. Kieran's Well and the court tombs in Shalwy/Bavan which I was already familiar with). He gave me directions (though fairly vague) and showed me a mountain pass (on the map!) that he and the other worker in the building said was more spectacular than Glengesh. Unfortunately, none of it is signposted and they didn't have any maps. I did pick up a map comparing St. Kieran's Turas to St. Connell's Station on Inis Caol (near Narin). The facility is very nice and includes a computer room, a library, basketball court/indoor football pitch and tons of other classrooms. The library is fantastic and the kids enjoyed checking it out while I talked to the man in the front. It has a decent selection of everything (Irish and English). I think the kids would have stayed all day, but we packed them up to begin exploring with the information that we had.
The main junction in Kilcar
Fionnuala found the toddler section (bilingual)
Liam found the camera and Daddy found the Irish section
Above the car on the right you can see St. Cartha's church!!!
We started for the Church first. St. Cartha built the church about 540 and it is one of the oldest buildings in this part of Donegal. Like many other early Christian sites, it also has a Turas associated with it that it observed on March 5 each year. In addition to the church and graveyard there are the three Holy Wells that we learned about at the Tourist Information desk (St Carthach, the Blessed Virgin, and St Conall) located nearby. I was told that the Holy Wells would be hard to locate because none of the signposts were still up.
We headed up the road (which is one car wide) having been told that we would see the church from the road. We followed the road a ways until it became only stones and then turned around assuming we had passed it. We never did see it, but Fionnuala needed a nap so we headed to the house for lunch and a nap.
A little rain can't stop the Donovans!
After she woke from her nap,we went to the beach in Gleann (An Trá Beag across from the Folk Village). By this time is was raining steadily, but not too hard. The kids had fun playing in the sand and waves anyway. We stayed on the beach until we were pretty soaked. We went back to the car, put the kids in dry pants and decided to try and find St. Colmcille's Well.
Father and son in the waves with little sister on her way
Up the Glen Head in a drizzle
We ended up walking right past the well and walking a long way up the mountain on the Glen Head Tower Path. When we decided to turn around, it rained the whole way back. I said to Sarah as we turned around, "I thought the well was right by the car." Turns out it was! Everyone enjoyed hiking up the mountain anyway until the rain became heavier and cold. Even then, the kids did well. By then time we got back to the car, it was time to eat so we headed back to the house. It was another nice day out!
Down the Glen Head in a heavier rain
Gaeilge Experience: None in Centra in Kilcar, but as we left Kilcar village in the morning I heard an adult tell some children to "Mind the road" in Irish! The library had a fair selection of Irish books. The signage in Kilcar was pretty heavily Irish/bilingual. Lots of texting in Irish with friends.
Fionnuala had trouble sleeping again last night and refused to let me comfort her at all, so Sarah again was called into duty at about 2 AM. By the time we ate breakfast, assembled our picnic and got ourselves ready to explore it was 10:15 AM. Today our plan was to head to the north of Donegal. It took us about two hours to get to Gartan, including a brief stop at a shop in Glenties and a few wrong turns. The kids did well in the car, but were thrilled to get out. Luckily, they loved Colmcille's birthplace. They both investigated the large cross and the megalithic circle in the enclosure, while we all ate our picnic lunch. I think they would have stayed all day, but I wanted to make sure we got to see Castle Doe (that's how we got the kids in the car). The sight is signposted, but keep your eyes peeled.
Megalithic circle; protruding out the right side is the slab on which Colmcille is said to have been born
The 16th Century Church
A map of the complex
1 km up the road was our next stop, Colmcille's Abbey. I'm really glad that we included this in our trip! The abbey was built inside a ringfort and is said to be where Colmcille's family lived (and is also a possible birthplace) before later gifting the land to him for the monastery. I had never visited either of these Colmcille related sites and found the monastery to be a nice stop. As soon as we stopped, Liam (5) sprinted across the car park to the church with Fionnuala (2) right on his heels. I heard "Wow, treasure!" and I began sprinting across the car park as well before they could touch something! When I got inside the church I explained what all the tokens and offerings were for and each child then left a coin and we said a prayer. After exploring some more Liam said that he wanted to leave another offering, so he collected some flowers and left these as well.
Then we headed into the cemetery, but it began to rain a little, so we hurried to the furthest boundary cross, checked out the original abbey foundations and got in the car before getting too wet.
This is a still a pilgrimage site with five marked stations that I found (seven after reviewing my pictures later). The pilgrimage is performed between 9 June (Colmcille's Feast Day) and 15 August. The stations are as follows:
Rath Cnó Stations
Pilgrims begin by stopping at the Holy Well, removing their shoes and rinsing their feet in the outer well before proceeded to Turas 1.
Turas 1 - Inside the church
Turas 1: Inside the 16th Century Church. The church was built in 1532 by Manus O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell. He was a descendant of St. Colmcille and wrote the biography from which most of the Colmcille tradition is derived.
At this station pilgrims kneel and say the Station Prayers (5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Marys, 5 Glory Be and one Creed).
Close up view of Turas 1
Turas 3: The top boundary cross
Turas 2:
On the side of the church building (the right-hand side as seen from the car park) there is a mound of stones. Pilgrims circle the mound three times while saying the Rosary, placing a stone on the mound each time. They then kneel and say the Station Prayers.
Turas 3: At the top of the graveyard is a stone cross marking the western boundary of the monastic site (The northern boundary cross is inaccessible because the farmer has blocked it off. Might this also could have been part of the original Turas?). Pilgrims circle the cross three times rubbing their back against the cross and kissing it each time around while saying the Rosary. They then kneel and say the Station Prayers. Turas 4: The 10th Century Abbey foundation
Pilgrims circle the graveyard saying the Rosary, then enter the graveyard gate and circle the 10th Century Abbey three times. Then they kneel at the Abbey foundation by the Turas 4 marker (next to a cross) and say the Station Prayers.
The marker for Turas 4
The foundation of the original abbey (Turas 4)
The foundation of the old abbey (the highest point)
An Turas 5: The Cross marking the boundary of the original abbey
Turas 5: The southern boundary cross by the church (next to the car park)
Turas 6: The Holy Well
Pilgrims circle the cross three times while saying the Rosary. They rub their back and kiss the cross each time, then kneel and say the Station Prayers.
On the way out we made a brief stop at the Holy Well.
Turas 6:Outside of the Holy Well
Pilgrims circle the outside of the well three times while saying the Rosary. Then they kneel outside the railing and say the Station Prayers.
Turas 7
Turas 7: Inside the Holy Well enclosure
Turas 7: Inside the Holy Well
After this, Pilgrims go inside the enclosure, lift water from the well and say the Station Prayers.
After this they return to the church, enter it and lift the stone which held the cross on the gable end of the abbey. They then turn around to the right three times resting the stone on the alter each time.
Once finished, Pilgrims return to the well and put their shoes back on.
Doe Castle
By now the kids were beyond ready for the promised castle! A short way up the road (near the intersection with the N56) we passed the signpost for Doon Rock and Holy Well but I didn't dare stop. Hopefully, I'll get another chance to see it. The trip to Doe Castle was quicker than I expected (20-25 minutes). When we pulled into view of the castle both kids exclaimed "A castle!" The castle was wonderful and is free! You can't enter the keep, but the kids were in heaven. It is in pretty good condition, this would normally have an admission charge.
Liam storming the casrle
Fionnuala storming the castle
The front gate of Doe Castle
Hoodie up to no good
More castle storming
Fionnuala enters the courtyard
The keep from the courtyard
The courtyard
Having a rest
The fact that Doe Castle is free makes it a "must see" if you are in this area and is a perfect fit for little children. We spent a long time running around the castle and then headed home. We decided to make the loop around the coast on the N56 through the heart of the Gaeltacht. It took two hours to get to Killybegs where we stopped at Melly's Cafe for an early meal. It wasn't cheap, but the fish is very good (Fish & chips €11 each, kids burger and chips €3). Fionnuala ate a bit of everyone's dish. After a stop at Supervalu we headed home for the day.
