Irish Bridges, Castles and More!

Dozens of ancient castles and ruins are sprinkled across Ireland’s lush, green countryside in various states of ruin.  http://www.pinterest.com/shilio1/irish-ruins-and-castles/



Celtic Cross Origins

One popular legend has it that St. Patrick introduced the cross intending to convert pagan heathens to Christianity. At a time when church leaders thought it would be easier to convert pagans from their beliefs to Christian beliefs if they used symbols that they were already familiar with. 

 

It’s believed by some that the four arms of the cross represents the four elements, earth, air, fire and water.  They also represent the four directions of the compass, North, South, East and West.  And finally the four parts of man, mind, soul, heart and body.  The horizontal line of the cross symbolizes earth and the vertical portion symbolizes heaven.

Some believe that the ring on the Celtic cross represents the Roman sun-god, Invictus, therefore the sun. Others interpret it as the moon.  Catholics and Protestants say this ring represents eternity and emphasizes unending love as shown by the sacrifice on the cross.  Or, that it might represent the halo.  From a practical point of view it it’s said that the ring, or circle was a solution to keep the early stone crosses from breaking.

The Samuel Beckett "Harp" Bridge in Dublin

The bridge is inspired by traditional Irish harp. The harp is a true symbol of Ireland in its design so the cables are reminiscent of the strings and so the bridge is a mixture of symbolism and modernity. Calatrava Bridge was named for Samuel Beckett, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969.

Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry in the southwest of Ireland is one of our most scenic routes located in some of the most beautiful, unspoiled natural environments in Ireland. It is one of Ireland's best-known and most scenic circuits, skirting the edge of the Iveragh Peninsula – the middle and largest of three fingers of land reaching out into the Atlantic on the island's south-west extremity. Roughly 120-miles of scenic beauty, encountering some of Ireland's finest landscapes, a breathtaking mosaic of rugged, storm-bashed coast, steep mountains, velvety green fields, historic sites, slate-colored glacial lakes and welcoming towns and villages.

Iveragh Peninsula

Country Perfect for Grazing Sheep

Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs are 700 feet high at the highest point and range for 5 miles along the West coast County Clare. The tower of the O'Brien Clan stands on a headland of the Cliffs. The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale, sandstone and limestone with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. It is possible to see 300 million year-old river channels cutting through, forming unconformities at the base of the cliffs.

Snowdonia National Park

The Mountains of Snowdonia



Snowdonia National Park, which has the evocative Welch name of “Eryri” meaning ‘the place of the eagles’, is an area of outstanding natural beauty covering 838 square miles and containing some of the most magnificent scenery in Wales.

The rocks that cover Snowdonia were formed by volcanoes in the Ordovician period and much of the scenery was carved out by glaciers.

STONEHENGE

Located near Salisbury in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside, it is a highlight of the South West. The true meaning of this ancient, awe-inspiring creation has been lost in the mists of time. Was Stonehenge a temple for sun worship, a healing center, a burial site or perhaps a huge calendar? How did the builders manage to carry the mighty stones from so far away and then, using only the most primitive of tools, build this amazing structure? Surrounded by mystery, Stonehenge never fails to impress.

Interesting Facts on Stonehenge

Ø         Stonehenge was built between 3100 - BCE.

Ø    The circle was aligned with the midsummer sunrise, the midwinter sunset and the most southerly rising and northerly setting of the moon.

Ø     The ground plan and structural engineering of Stonehenge incorporate sophisticated mathematical and geometrical understandings on the part of the builders.

Ø     There were two types of stones used in its construction: the bluestones (weighing as much as four tons and brought from 240 miles away) and the Sarsen stones (averaging eighteen feet in height and twenty-five tons in weight).

Stonehenge Purposes

Ø   Prior to 1950’s most archeologists believed that Stonehenge’s use had been limited to ritual activities of  different Neolithic chiefdoms. However, it is now known that Stonehenge had another equally important function, which was its use as an astronomical observatory.

Ø   Stonehenge was simultaneously used for both astronomical observation and ritual function. By gathering data regarding the movement of celestial bodies, the Stonehenge observations were used to indicate appropriate periods in the annual ritual cycle. During those periods, among them being the solstices, equinoxes and different lunar days, festivals and ceremonies were held.

Mounds Around Stonehenge

Heel Stone, Sun-Stone or Friar's Heel?

The Heel Stone lies just outside the main entrance to the henge. It is a rough stone, 16 feet above ground, leaning inwards towards the stone circle. At summer solstice an observer standing within the stone circle, looking north-east through the entrance, would see the sun rise above the heel stone.

A folk tale dating back to the seventeenth century suggests the origin of the Friar's Heel:

The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!," whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there.

Hadrian's Wall

The emperor Hadrian visited Britannia in AD 122 and ordered his generals to build a wall from the Tyne to the Solway, to prevent raiders from the north destroying the strategic Roman base at Corbridge, in Northumberland.

Hadrian’s Wall was 80 Roman miles long - about 73 modern miles or 117 km. It was built in 5 mile stretches, with seventeen forts. Smaller forts called ‘milecastles’ were built every mile and between these were signal turrets.

Building the wall was a huge undertaking; it took 15 years to build, and sons followed fathers into guarding the wall. Eighteen thousand soldiers worked on it, and 4 million tonnes of stone were used.  It served as a frontier for several Roman incursions into Caledonia.

The Remains of a Mighty Wall