Old Portmarnock Church Co Dublin

                                          Above Image: The roadside gate.

                                       Above Image: The track to the ruins.

                                             Above Image: First glimpse.

                                         Above Image: The enclosure gate.

                             Above Image: West gable with remains of belfry.

                                     Above Image: East gable (foreground)

This Church ruin lies near the sand dunes on the Strand at Portmarnock, a village on the North East coast of County Dublin, which derives its name from St Marnoc who settled here in the 5^th century. The present ruins were built upon the site of a much earlier church and date to between the late 12^th and early 13^th century. The ruins are surrounded by a later graveyard with a walled enclosure.

This is one of these ruins which are not apparent to the passer by. It is not signposted from the road and access is through a metal swing gate at the roadside and a trek through some scrub land out towards the dunes.
The Church sits in a very nice coastal setting and has most of both gables and its walls still in evidence with a window in the West gable. This gable I believe also at one time had triple bell arches. It is a long rectangular building longer than most of its type and one of the oldest still in evidence in co Dublin and so worth a look.
When walking up the track towards the ruins I was met by several signs indicating private property on both sides of the track and that leaving the track was trespassing. I have to say when I reached the enclosure I did not at first see the entry gate and walked a little around the enclosure to see if I could find a way in. I took a photo from this position of the ruins and this activity must have generated some suspicion in one of the nearby houses. The enclosure is bordered mainly by the Portmarnock Hotel golf links and also by the grounds of Lissadell house. Anyway, I finally did find the gate which was actually at the end of the track I had arrived on. How I missed it I don’t know.
 I entered through the gate and went about looking at the ruins. During my perusal a very stocky and somewhat surly looking character entered the graveyard and pretended to look at a grave but was obvious to me that he was checking to see what I was up to. I continued to take photos and generally look at the ruins and when I was done I walked out towards the enclosure gate deliberately passing him and bidding him good day. He didn’t respond so I went about my way looking back to see if he was following, but he wasn’t. I don’t think that my visit to the ruin was in anyway prohibited but my leaving the path and photography may have seemed to somebody that I might be photographing the estate house for some nefarious reason. So be wary of this if visiting and stay on the track.

To find the ruins take the R106 Strand Road heading North through Portmarnock. Pass by St Anne’s Church on your right and drive for approx. 700m until you see a left hand turn for Blackberry Lane. Turn in and park along the road here. Walk back out onto the Strand Road and cross over to the other side. Follow the path back in the direction you drove in on for about 50m until you see a low wall running alongside the footpath. The entrance gate is in a break in this wall. Just follow the track inside and you will reach the ruins.

Glassamucky Brakes Stone Circle Co Dublin

              Above Image: The approach road. Park in the wide area in the background

                Above Image: The route from the road. The arrow points to the large rock
                                     mentioned in the post.

                    Above Image: The route from the large rock over the flat stone.The
                                         circle is on the left in the background

                                              Above Image: Facing South

                                            Above Image: Facing North

                                       PHOTOS BELOW FROM 2012 VISIT

                            Below 3 Images: Unusual cloud patterns that evening

Glassamucky Brakes. The name sounds odd. The “Brakes” in this case refers to an area covered with bracken to which this site decidedly fits the bill. 
Hiding away about 50m up from the rural back road below lies a megalithic stone circle most probably dating back to the Bronze Age. This being a glacial valley there is so much scree and rock lying about that it is difficult to see the circle until you have actually reached it. But unlike the other rocks strewn about this has a certain sign of placement about it. This may be the only visible stone circle or part thereof in the county of Dublin although there is mention of one or two in the Ballinascorney area according to South Dublin County libraries and possibly another buried beneath the ground at Glassamucky.  
Once you have navigated the roads and found the spot to park which is a wider area than the narrow road that you approached on, you will then need to start walking up the hill from this parking area and aim towards a large boulder at an approx. 45 degree angle. Upon reaching this rock keep to a direction parallel to the road below. You will find that a rudimentary track is evident and you will cross a flat stone on the way. A few metres beyond there is a cluster of rocks on your left, this is what remains of the circle. 
I’ve visited this site on two occasions, once on a September evening in 2012 when there was some high atmospheric winds creating some dramatic cloud patterns and the near setting sun was delivering some unusual light on the site. Disappointingly on that visit the furze and bracken was thick around the stones disguising a lot of it. On my recent visit the area around the stones was charred from an apparent brush fire. Whether this was deliberate or not it certainly afforded a better view of the circle.  
There are seven stones in all visible that form an arc. One of the stones leans forward as if pointing to Ballymorefinn Hill opposite although I don’t think there is any significance to this as the stone was more than likely originally vertical. The circle seems to sit on a sort of shelf and has a fine view of the Glenasmole valley below. This valley name translates to valley of the witches and is surrounded by hills and mountains topped by ancient cairns. It is indeed a very atmospheric spot here and the non- strenuous walk to circle really makes it a must see. Also in the general area above the higher road (R115) you can also visit the huge Glassamucky Bullaun stone (see earlier post here) 
All in all a very interesting visit but best done on a dry bright day for safety reasons. 
To find the circle take the R115 out of Rathfarnham towards Killakee and after approx. 3.5KM you will reach a sharp right bend with a viewpoint parking area on the right. Continue on around the bend and follow this road (Military Rd) for approx. 3KM.  Along the way you will pass a sharp right hand turn and then a memorial on your left. Approx.250m past the memorial is another sharp right hand turn. Turn down this road which bends sharply right after about 600m. Continue until you have passed a left hand turn and approx. 200m later you will find a wider section of the road where you can park. Directly in the centre right of the area is rough track leading up the hill. Follow the directions as outlined in the post above.

Old Ardkill Church Co Kildare

                                         Above Image: The new roadside gate

                                 Above Image: The second stile (to right of gate)

                                           Above Image: The walled enclosure

                                            Above Image: The enclosure gate
 

                                             Above Image: The East gable

                                  Above Image: Route from the road to enclosure

You’ll need some good walking boots for this one. The medieval Church of Ardkill (meaning High Church) lies in the Townland of the same name and requires a bit of a trek to find it. The first indication of its existence is a gate with a cross on it at the roadside which now has a brand new stile attached. From here it’s a walk across three fields and over another stile before you spot the walled enclosure around the ruins. This route may have originally been a Mass path for Churchgoers. The last of these fields has a cattle enclosure and a stile to cross. When we visited, the last field was chock full of Sheep who moved in great waves as we approached and at least two rams were giving us the beady eye. Just as you reach the enclosure wall you have to cross a small ditch which even on a sunny day still manages to retain some water. There is a gate in the enclosure wall on the South west corner which has a spring loaded catch which nearly took my finger off so be wary of this.

What remains of the Church is unfortunately mostly hidden by vegetation but it appears both gables are standing and partial amounts of the South and North walls. The Church would have measured approx. 21m x 10m. The ruins are situated on raised ground within the graveyard which is pretty uneven and they would probably look more dramatic if the ivy was cleared. The Kildare burial grounds survey documents that the East gable is buttressed but it’s not very evident with the overgrowth. There are a number of 18^th century interesting grave markers scattered around.

It’s a long trek for such scant remains but there is a very remote, windswept and historical atmosphere to the place. There are also, a couple of fields further on, the partial remains of a Castle tower. This can be spotted from the road as you approach the roadside stile that accesses the mass path. We decided on this visit to pass on that viewing as we had pretty much enough of the smell of country air!
To find the ruins take the M4 junction 9 exit. At the top of the ramp take the R402 exit of the roundabout for Edenderry. Drive a short way to the next roundabout and take the 2^nd exit continuing on the R402 toward Edenderry. Pass through the Village of Johnstown Bridge and drive for approx. 6Km until you reach a small crossroads with a white thatched cottage on the right. Turn left at the crossroads and drive for approx. 900m and keep an eye out on your right for a field gate with a cross on it and a stile adjacent. You can park on the grass verge opposite. Once over the stile follow the line of the hedgerow on your right and you will find the right route.

Timahoe Round Tower & Castle Co Laois

                                           Above Image: The footbridge entrance

                                            Above Image: Romanesque doorway

                             Above Image: Almost as if the tower had sprouted twigs!

                              Above & Below Images: Remains of the Church/Castle

                                                 Above Image: The choir arch

                                               Above Image: Remains of a font?

This monastic site was founded by St Mochua in the 7^th century. None of the original monastery buildings survive after being seriously damaged in 1142 but the tall 90 feet tall round tower which was constructed in the 12^th century remains intact and peeks above the trees on the skyline of the Village.
Access to the site is by way of a small footbridge over a stream into a secluded area. The conical roof remains atop undamaged making the tower a fine example of these amazing type of structures. There are four windows near the roof that face to all four compass points but most importantly a beautifully carved Romanesque doorway is situated approx. 14ft from ground level. This decorative doorway makes this tower unique in Ireland. The doorways on towers like these were placed high  mostly as form of protection. If under attack a ladder could be pulled up to deter the assailants.
 A few yards from the tower a more modern Church building stands intact and has I’ve been told adapted into a library.
Adjacent South West to the tower are the ruins of a 15^th century Church from a Franciscan friary constructed by the O’Mores. The friary was closed in the dissolution of the 1540’s. In the 1600’s the lands were passed to the Cosby family who were notable in the area and they went about converting the remains of the Church into a Castle complete with tower and bawn. Only partial remains exist today mostly of the East wall and a gable end of the Church. The East wall contains a choir arch which is completely blocked up.
The site sits in a very quiet spot in the village and has a very calm and peaceful atmosphere. When we visited there was just one other visitor who appeared to be a local walking his dog. Although the remains of the Church/Castle are scant the tower really makes a visit worthwhile.
To find the ruins, take the M7 Dublin to Limerick motorway and exit at junction 16. At the roundabout at the top of the exit ramp take the second exit and drive for approx. 4.5KM until you reach a T-junction with the N80. You will pass by the Rock of Dunamase on your way (see earlier post). Turn left onto the N80 and drive approx. 3KM until you reach Stradbally. In the Village take the right hand turn opposite the “Daniel Dunne” pub. Drive for approx. 8KM until you reach the crossroads in Timahoe Village. Drive ahead through the crossroads and take the first left turn. Once around, the road forks. Take the right hand fork and a few metres on you will spot the small footbridge crossing the stream. You can park safely along here.