We completed our tour of Slea Head with visits to the Louis Mulcahy pottery studio and the Gallarus Oratory. The oratory, built in the 6th or 7th century, is thought to be an early Christian church. Except for a sagging roof, the oratory remains in remarkably good condition despite (or because of) the fact that its builders used no mortar in its construction, instead adopting a technique known as corbeling. According to wikipedia, corbeling offsets
successive courses of stone at the springline of the walls so that they project towards the archway's center from each supporting side, until the courses meet at the apex of the archway...Back in town, we strolled along the wharf before having dinner at Doyle's, where we each ate a traditional Kerry seafood pie, an amalgam of local catch stewed in a white roux of seafood stock and baked in a "crust" of mashed potatoes.
On our way out of town the next morning, we stumbled across the ruins of Minaurd Castle while searching for a holy well. The structure is not locked off, so we made our way inside the walls, which had pretty much been taken over by plant life. What stories could those castle walls tell?
Country blues...
200 guitars...
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7 comments:
That oratory is certainly an interesting building! And you got to mess around in an old castle; how cool is that?!
BTW, does the term "temperance hall" mean you have to play snooker sans your evening pint? What fun is that??
More wonderful pics
I really need to go somewhere like this. My only problem would be leaving to come back to crazy New Orleans.
Fantastic shots, K! I have to admit that I'm so envious of your Ireland trip! But seeing your photos is almost as good as being there. What a marvelous, historical place. I guess I feel a tie with Ireland because that's where my ancestors came from, but whatever, it looks wonderful through your eyes!
Roy: That's a good question. Doesn't sound like much of a time to me!
Scrump: Thanks!
Clifton: And here we're always trying to find an excuse to go to New Orleans!
Sylvia: The feeling of being in the place of your ancestors is profound. I'll never forget the first time I came here.
Are these stones additionally unworked?
How do they find all these stones that will work together to make a corbel?
Stone work is a magic as much as smithing is.
Love, c.
Such great pictures..Your sharing of these do make it seem like we are right there with you.. They are wonderful and I so appreciate it.
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