Drumlane Abbey Co Cavan

 

                        Above Image: Approach lane with Lough Gafinny in backround

                                                 Above Image: Entrance gate

                                                Above Image: Western doorway

                                            Above Image: Nave and East gable

                                       Above Image: Southern doorway (interior)

                            Above Image & Below Image: Remnants from the church

                                              Above Image: Medieval grave slab

                          Above Image: View of west entrance from interior East gable

                                     Above Image & Below Image: The round tower

                                   Above Image: Skull & Crossbones grave marker

                                  Above Image: View of North wall and buttresses

This sizeable ruin lies by the shore of Grafinny Lough one of the 365 lakes that exist in County Cavan.  Drumlane Abbey is an important ecclesiastical site founded in 555AD by St. Columba (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD). The site is also associated with St. Aiden and St. Maedhog. What is extant today is an 12th century round tower and a medieval church building.

On the original site a wooden round tower and church were constructed but the tower was replaced with a stone construction by the Augustinian order in the 12th century and later by the stone church as seen today. There is a local tale that occasionally the bell from the original church can be heard to ring from the depths of the lough. The abbey was burned twice during the 13th century and found itself embroiled in various battles that took place during the 14th century. The church continued in use after the 17th century plantation as an Anglican place of worship and remained so until 1820 when a new church was constructed. Subsequently the old building was unroofed to avoid taxes and left to ruin. It was later taken under the care of the OPW as a national monument. This is a wonderful ruin. Its position close to the lough gives it a picture postcard look and it is so easily accessible for visitors.

We visited on an early summer's day just after a rain shower and the ozone lingered heavily in the air. A small rough lane leads down to the main gate. Once inside the gate the round tower stands defiantly on your left guarding the more modern cemetery. It stands approx. 38 feet high, maybe four storeys. but is missing its conical top thus making it uncertain how high it was originally. The main door is on the West facing gable and leads into the long rectangular interior. The East gable is complete and sports a large arched window. There is a single window in the South wall along with a smaller doorway and there are three arched windows in the North wall. Standing upright beside the smaller Southern exit is what appears to be an impressive grave marker. Indeed there are several remnants from the building laid out in the interior and also in a locked cage on the exterior of the South wall between two buttresses. The buttresses themselves were added in the later years of the church to add support to the side walls from the weight of the high angled roof. In recent years the OPW has been involved in some remedial  work patching up the masonry which in places has of late shown signs of moving outwards.

Within the cemetery on the South side of the church we found a round grave marker featuring a skull & crossbones, a bell, an hourglass and a coffin all supposed to represent the inevitability of death.

To find the ruin take the N3 Northwards from Butlers Bridge until you reach the junction with the N87 at the Belturbet roundabout. Turn left onto the N87 and drive approx 1.6KM until you reach a left hand turn signposted for the R201 to Killashandra. Turn left onto the R201 and drive approx. 2.5KM until you reach the small village of Milltown. Just past the Dumlane Bar, which is on your left, you come to a junction. Tale the narrow road between the buildings across the road following the sign for Drumlane Abbey. Drive down this road and you will spot the ruins ahead. There is a large free car park opposite the graveyard on your right. Access is down the narrow lane opposite the car park.

GPS Location:  54.05850, -7.47880

Old Knockmark Church Co Meath

 

                                            Above Image: The entry gate / stile

                                   Above Image: The North Eastern arched doorway

                                  Above Image: Steeple with South Eastern doorway

                                       Above Image: Interior of steeple looking up

                                            Above Image: South Western aspect

                                         Above Image: Remnant from the church

The remains of this Church of Ireland church are built on the site of a former medieval church which was destroyed by Cromwellian forces during the 17th century invasion of Ireland. It is located in the barony of LOWER-DEECE in County Meath.

The present ruin is from a church built in 1811 for £900 funded by the Board of First Fruits. The church served the protestant community until it was abandoned circa 1909 and left to fall into ruin. A local man subsequently bought the building and demolished all but the steeple using the material in other constructions.

Today, the steeple serves as a landmark for the small cemetery that surrounds it and is as quiet and bucolic a place you could ever find.

We visited on a mild Autumn day parking the car on the verge just outside the cemetery gate. We had been on a drive in the area and couldn't help noticing the steeple standing tall like an Apollo rocket ready to launch moonward.The ruin is accessed by way of the main gate or by an adjacent pedestrian-friendly stile in the form of several stone steps and handrail.

The base of the steeple has arched doors on the North East and South-East sides and rises to approx. three storeys high culminating in a further stone conical extension rising nearly a further storey in height.

Within the arched base area, which would have been the entry porch, lies a good deal of rubble, some from the non-extant Nave and some from the collapsed interior floors of the steeple. You can stand within the old porch and see right up to the conical top.

Quite a few of these old Protestant steeples can be found in Ireland devoid of their former naves and chancels but still providing striking landmarks in the countryside.

To find the ruin take the M3 Motorway and exit at junction 6 taking the R125 heading West for Kilcock. Drive until you reach a roundabout at Merrywell and take the third exit signposted for Drumree (L22082). Drive approx. 1KM and then take the first left turn. Drive down this road which bends right and then left bringing you to the gate of the cemetery. There is room to park at the gate.

Church Of The Rath Co Cavan

 

                                   

                                   Above Image: The South gable with coat of arms

                                                Above Image: The roadside gate.

                          Above Image & Below 3 Images: The whitewashed section

                                            Above Image: Decorative windows

                                         

                                       Above Image: A mausoleum in the interior

This small church ruin stands on the site of an ancient ringfort and is known as The Church of the Rath. It subsequently became the basis for the name of the community that surrounds it - Killeshandra.

An original church structure was built here in 1390 by the Augustinian order but was in ruin by the late 16th century following the dissolution of churches in Ireland by the English crown.

By the early 1600's there was a call for a church to service the Anglican community and the ruins we see today are what remains. It was built as one of the very few Jacobean-styled churches evident in Ireland and appears to have been under the patronage of the Hamilton family who were settlers from Scotland during the plantation. Later, in 1641 they had fled Castle Hamilton during the Confederate rebellion but following the war they returned and the town which had been razed to the ground was rebuilt. The small church was also restored. Sir Francis Hamilton was responsible for converting the building into a T shape and he also added some impressive gothic style windows.

The church remained in use for quite a long time until the construction of a new bigger Anglican church in 1841. Subsequently the old Church of the Rath fell into ruin.

We came across this ruin while exploring the area and found easy access from the roadside. A very noticeable feature is the large inserted stone in the front gable depicting the coat of arms of the Hamilton's. In fact Sir Charles Hamilton and his wife Catherine are buried within the confines of the church.

The South facing doorway provides entry to the interior. A small amount of restoration has been done inside with some roofing installed in one section and a lot of whitewashing of the walls. But the majority remaining is of the original bare stone with a couple of impressive stone window frames to view.

The surrounding graveyard appears to be in use although the grounds were a little overgrown at the time of our visit.

To find the ruin take the R198 out of Cavan and follow the road until you reach a T-junction at Crossdoney. Turn right and follow the sign for Killeshandra. Drive approx. 3KM until the R198  automatically changes to the R199. Follow this road until you enter the main street of Killeshandra. Continue on through the town until you pass the Lakeland Dairies building on your left. The wall of the churchyard is 100m ahead on your right. You can park outside this wall.

Woodstock Castle Athy Co Kildare

 

                                            Above Image: Southwest facing wall

                                            Above Image: Northwest facing wall

                                            Southeast wall with projecting tower

Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, Richard de Clare, also known as "Strongbow" granted lands to Richard de St Michael in this area which was commonly known as the "Ford of Ae". This subsequently gave name to the town of Athy. Following a temporary defensive embankment structure a large stone rectangular keep was constructed in the 13th century that contained a large hall and cellar. This castle stood close to the West bank of the River Barrow as an important defensive position. The surrounding enclosure contained an arched gateway and the castle became a focal point for the settlement around it which was predominantly French speaking.

During subsequent years the castle fought off many attacks by the native Irish who attempted to reverse their displacement by the Normans. In these incursions it did however suffer some damage but not very  extensive. 

The 16th century brought many changes to the castle with the addition of a third storey and a tower on its South East corner. In 1530 the castle was fortified further and became garrisoned under orders of the 9th Earl of Kildare.

During the Confederate wars of 1641-1653 the castle changed hands from Pierce Fitzgerald to the rebels and then back to James Butler the Marquess of Ormond. In 1647 Owen Roe O'Neill seized Woodstock and massacred the whole garrison and in the following year Murrough O'Brien took back control of the castle.

Finally around the end of the 17th century Woodstock fell into disuse and subsequently into ruin.

The castle now finds itself surrounded by the town of Athy and it's environs. It lies adjacent to a modern housing estate and a children's playground. Quite the opposite to it's turbulent and bloody history.

It is possible to get up close to it but entry is unfortunately not possible due to a metal fence surrounding the site. Part of this fence has been broken no doubt by some enterprising individuals for possible access but everything appears to be bricked up including the mullioned windows. There is no trace of the former arched gateway as I believe it was dismantled sometime in the late 19th century.

The walls of the castle seem quite sturdy but without a roof I expect the interior is a to put it mildly, muddied.

We visited on a September day in the early afternoon when schools had not turned out and so the park was quite deserted giving us time to have a proper look. Even in its modern setting this sturdy construct still looks very imposing.

To find the ruins enter Athy from the Dublin Road and drive through the main street crossing the bridge over the River Barrow at the Western end of the town. Continue on approx. 250m then take the right hand turn onto the R428 signposted for Stradbally. Drive down this road until you pass an Inver service station on your left, then take the next right hand turn onto Castle Park. You will see the ruin ahead of you. Find a parking spot at the end of the cul-de-sac at the pedestrian entrance to the park.

Co-ordinates  52.996993°N 6.989586°W

St. Bridget's Well Clondalkin Co Dublin

                                                     Above Image: The Grotto

                                                  Above Image: The entry gate

                                Above & Below Images: Wooden door and well water

This tidily kept holy well is situated in a narrow oasis between a main road and an entry road to a housing estate. The natural spring well was drawn upon by St. Bridget in the 5th century to help cure pagans of their ills and has been revered by many over the centuries. Originally set in pastureland it has been encroached upon by the expanding environs of Dublin hiding it away from view. I only discovered its existence purely by chance looking at a map one afternoon and decided to pay it a visit.

In the 1990's the adjacent road to the well was widened and the stream that fed into the well and subsequently the Camac river was diverted leaving the well dry which is a shame really given the longevity of its existence. Even though it was reconnected to the mains water supply later this has somewhat undermined the idea of the curative powers that the original well water was thought to have. Another victim on the site was a the very old rag tree which was removed in 2022 as it became subject to an Ash tree disease. 

Originally a visitor would dip a small piece of cloth in the water and apply it to the face. Subsequently eye ailments were often cured. The rag was then hung upon the tree. 

The structure surrounding the well was constructed in 1761 and the grotto in the 1950's. A small brightly coloured wooden door covers the well with a long narrow gap extending outwards from under the door between the paving stones. This is where today the water is accessible. I imagine that although what trickles out it is mains water, it is likely that those who visit consider it to be blessed by this ancient and venerated site.

To find the well take the R113 (Fonthill Road) from Newlands Cross. Drive until you reach the second left hand turn onto Boot Road (L1003) Turn left here and  immediately left again onto Brideswell Lane and the well is approx 50m along on your left. There is some room along the lane to park.

Old Oil Mill Corkagh Park Co Dublin

 

                                                Above Image: The Camac River   

                                  

                                               Above Image: Oil Mill gate pillar

                                                  

                                                      Above Image: A warning.

                                 Above Image & Below 3 Images: Within the ruins

Hidden in the North Eastern corner of Corkagh Park surrounded by bushes and overgrowth lie the remains of a once productive oil mill opened circa 1850 and run by two enterprising gentlemen named Joseph Henry and Peter McNally. The mill concentrated on the production of linseed oil which was produced from seeds of the flax plant. In Ireland flax was usually sown in May and then gathered in August. The mill was powered by the adjacent River Camac. Alongside the mill building was a house with a yard and a mill pond. Operations there ran for 40 years until they finally ceased in 1890. Subsequently the buildings fell into a ruinous state and were left abandoned. 

We located the mill after we parked in St. John's car park just off Fonthill Road within the perimeter of Corkagh Park. Our first indication of the mill's whereabouts was a single gate pillar with a notice reading "Oil Mill" which was just across the small stone "Lyric" bridge crossing the River Camac. 

A short walk down the lane and we spotted the ruins on our left. They were surrounded by some trees and a lot of overgrowth. Coupled with that the local authority have erected a somewhat stark and ugly metal fence in order to keep people out as the ruins are considered unsafe by the County Council.

We ventured further in amongst the overgrowth following the fence trying to get a closer look until we found part of it broken away. One of the fence posts contained a daubing with the warning "enter and you will die". Ignoring that, we managed to get inside to what was probably part of the house attached to the mill, which is now in a severe state of disrepair. The remains of the mill building loomed above us but it was difficult with the overgrowth to make much progress. The area within was littered with the remnants of some youthful nocturnal imbibing. Since our visit it seems the doorways have now been blocked up.

Such a shame that this building is not protected more although I have heard whispers that the local council is engaging an assessor with a view to a conservation programme. Fingers crossed.

To find the ruins take the R113 Fonthill Road North towards Clondalkin and pass through the crossroads at Boot Road. Continue on and take the second left hand turn onto St. John's Grove. After a short distance you will find a small roundabout. Take the second exit for entry to the Park's car parking area, On the North Western end of the car park take the small lane and cross the small stone bridge. Follow the laneway marked by the Oil Mill gate pillar. You will come across the ruins a bit further down on your left.

Map Reference:  53.317511,  -6.411362