Friday, 11th January, 2013: Finally, Clare is part of the Standing Stone! I've been meaning to get this online for over six months but finally it's up! Expect more Clare sites in the following week. I started big by posting up Holy Island which has a multitude of sites. Two other things to report. Firstly, the iPhone, Android app the 'Ireland Travel Kit.' no contains articles from the Standing Stone and this can be downloaded from iTunes and Android stores. Lastly, some users have been experiencing issues with viewing the site on Firefox. I have no idea what is happening, but pages are not loading correctly on the current version. This bug might fix itself with subsequent updates but for now I suggest using a different browser while viewing the site.
Sunday, 6th January, 2013: Happy New Year to you all. My New Years resolution is to get out to site more often and spend some time each week working on the website. 2012 was a slow year indeed but this isn't surprising considering I became a father. Everything else seems to fall behind when you have a child. But this year I'm making some time for other things and it's a good excuse to start taking my son to places but obviously I won't be dragging him to the tops of mountains just yet! I've started uploading a large update which should be linked in by the end of the week and finally Co. Clare will be on the Standing Stone.
Monday, 6th August, 2012: I have just looked at my last news entry where I promised to upload something in April. Well that didn't really happen. It's now August and I've got nowhere. Between being a new dad, finishing some important work stuff and starting a whole load of new stuff I have done nothing to the site. Well I have at least answered some months old emails and I'm now sitting down to write an update now. So at last things are moving again but I can't promise it will come with the same fluidity...life gets in the way. Anyway, thank you to those of you who check back in every now and again. I hope it's not getting too boring.
Monday, 23rd April, 2012: Sorry for the prolonged absence. They seem to be coming more frequently these days. I took a few weeks off doing anything website related to spend with my new son who was born on the 26th March. Naturally, he is my prime focus at the moment. I've started preparing some updates again which should start appearing in the next week or so. I will try to get something up for April so I don't go two months with nothing going up. Also realised that I seriously need to archive the old news. I haven't done that since January 2011.
Tuesday, 21st February, 2012: Made a second trip out for this year exploring South Clare, near Limerick. There is a wealth of sites in that area and I only scratched the surface. Plenty of ancient sites and a few later medieval ones. Quin Abbey was a highlight, although I will have to return there as the gates into the abbey itself were locked until the high season after Easter comes around. I hope to add Clare to the site in the next week or two beginning with Holy Island in Lough Derg. I think I could spend a life time in Clare and not see everything.
Thursday, 9th February, 2012: Busy start to the year and life seems to just be getting fuller. I've been posting up stuff most weeks but not with the regularity I would like. Work and the impending arrival of my son has kept me busy. I made my first trip out of the year and explored Glendalough with a group of fellow enthusiasts. Last year I didn't add a single county to the Standing Stone, so this year I'm going to be adding three to make up for this. My aim is to have stuff for every county and I've been neglecting this target. I am hoping to add Wicklow, Clare and Meath in the coming weeks and months. I like to have a few sites ready for a county before I add anything and I have Glendalough, Holy Island and Loughcrew all sat there so it makes sense to get them up onto the site. This should inspire me to add further stuff to those counties soon. I want to start exploring Kilkenny soon as well. It's one of those things that has been on my to do list for years. Belated Happy New Year to you all...
Saturday, 31st December, 2011: Wow...what a year! For me this year has been a rush and unfortunately it has been the website that has suffered as a result. I can't promise things will get better in 2012 but hopefully I will be able to make more updates but I will be a father soon and that will be my priority. I also successfully defended my doctoral thesis just before Christmas...at last. I wish all my readers a happy new year and a great 2012 and thank you for still reading and making this site more successful in 2011.
Saturday, 19th November, 2011: It's been a busy busy couple of months. I've been busy finishing rewrites of my PhD and hopefully that is now it. Because of that I have really been neglecting the site but now I have some time I will be giving it some care and attention. Apart from a weeks holiday soon I will be working on here every day making updates and editing old pages which I really want to get wrapped up. I don't know if I will be able to get the updates going at the speed I like because I'm now an expecting father and I just don't have the time to get out and about to see places like I use to. However, I will persevere!
On a sadder note, I just wanted to say how sad I was to hear about the imminent closure of megalithomania.com. It's been miles ahead of the rest of us online and it will be a huge loss to the online community.
Tuesday, 16th August, 2011: One of my long term goals for this site was to set up a forum. However, there were other forums and another was not necessary. Unfortunately, things have changed and I can now set up my own forum, although it comes only because another has disappeared. I have no idea how successful this forum will be and it all depends on how many people join and more importantly, how many are active. So feel free to get involved. The link to the forums is in the side bar and do read the conditions before you join. Security is strict and initially you will be required to make an introduction before being given more permissions. This is purely an anti-spam measure. Have fun!
Tuesday, 5th July, 2011: I'm glad that I'm finally managing to get this site running again. I'm not at the speed I use to be but I'm definitely making progress. New updates are being prepared and I'm also going back to the my early posts and updating them with hi-res pictures and new formatting so that everything has the same format. It's taking a while but I'm nearly there. Only about 15 posts to reformat. I still have loads offline that needs to be put on the site so keep an eye out for that. I don't think I'll be getting anywhere this weekend as I have a lot of work to do but hopefully I can a few updates prepared. Last weekend I took my fiancée to Roscrea to show her the lovely castle and other sites in the town. I finally got into the Blackmills Museum and saw the original high cross and the Roscrea Pillar which is a mysterious 8th century Christian box, probably from Monaincha Abbey. I had wanted to see this for quite sometime and was delighted to finally get to see it. I will make this a priority and get it uploaded so that Roscrea is finally properly covered. There is just one tower house outside the town in Dungar that I am yet to see and then that's Roscrea completely covered.
Wednesday, 22nd June, 2011: I have been quietly busy this past month and made a few little but productive trips out. I've visited a few old churchyards in Offaly and Tipperary and made a trip into Carlow and Kildare so I have plenty to be getting on with. I've finally managed to upload Carrowmore in Sligo which was a mammoth project but is finally done! I've recently been back to Clonmacnoise which is always a delight and I will add those pictures soon, including those from St. Ciaran's church which was covered in plastic and not visible the last time I was there. I went to the lovely Clonkeen church in Co. Limerick last weekend and am planning to do the 'tourist' trial in Limerick this weekend. They will, of course, eventually find their way on here eventually. It's been an exciting year for visits so far and I hope it continues. The problem is finding the time to upload.
Tuesday, 24th May, 2011: Finally I am back online. I have been moving house recently and have only today got my internet connection sorted out. I've made a new upload and there will be more to come. I've been pretty busy lately and have managed to get out and about to see lots of places. I have been into both Meath and Clare and have seen Loughcrew and Holy Island. In time I will get these onto the site. I am trying to write things about Carrowmore in Sligo and get that online which will be a worthwhile and big upload. Glad to be back with you.
Friday, 15th April, 2011: Again...sorry for the lack of updates. I'm moving in little over a week and anyone who has moves knows the time involved in it...so much to do and so little time. When I am settled in my new home I will be able to start with the updates again. Thanks for you patience.
Tuesday, 5th April, 2011: Busy busy busy. I'm moving soon to that's taking up my time but I'm getting something new up each week and I hope to continue this over the next while and in May I will be able to increase that when I'm settling into my new home. This weekend though I am off to Meath to look at the ancient tombs at Loughcrew. This is the last major megalithic cemetery for me to visit then I will have been to the four sites and then I will be adding Meath to the site. I will be going to Knowth and Dowth in the summer as well and get them up with Newgrange which will be the first Meath site to be uploaded. Thanks for your patience.
Saturday, 26th March, 2011: Sorry for the lack up updating in the past few weeks. 2011 is turning into a very hectic year and I had hoped to to some updating this past week but I've been laid low with Salmonella poisoning so I haven't been up to much. Being ill also scuppered my plans to get out and about this weekend. So hopefully next weekend will be fruitful and I hope to make it to a few places in Kildare and Carlow. I feel that these counties need a bit of attention. I want to get stuck into Kilkenny soon and then I will turn my attention to Limerick for a bit during the summer. As for updates I will have new ones this week and hope to have a major update soon as I plan to upload Carrowmore in Co. Sligo which will involve updating pictures and information for 20 tombs. There are more than 20 there but that's all I have for now.
Monday, 7th February, 2011: Last Saturday the weather was good and perfect for getting out and seeing a few places I've had on my list for a while in county Sligo. The first stop was Deerpark court tomb. Located in forestry land it is easily accessible (with a short walk) and all the pictures I had seen it was surrounded by trees but these have now been cleared and you can get a 360 degree view from the site including good views of Knocknarae which is roughly W of the site but not aligned. Next, we pressed onto the nearby cashel which also has a souterrain. This is a nice little site but is in a field adjacent to the forestry. We spent time carefully climbing over the wall only to find on the way back that there was access further down the wall. We couldn't get to the wedge tomb because of some horses who didn't like the look of us. After this we pressed onto Drumcliff and saw the great high cross and the remains of the round tower.The final stop for the day was Creevykeel court tomb. What an amazing place! It is worth spending some time here to get your head around the unusual layout of the site. The main tomb is standard enough but the extra passages at the rear really stumped me. However, with all manicured sites it has that garden ornament feel - but a very nice one at that.
This weekend we travelled down to the very Southern tip of county Carlow to look at St. Mullins ecclesiastical site. Now while the weather was against us we saw all that the site had to offer and some other local sites. What an amazing place! The motte and bailey there was of particular interest because it is possible to get to the top. Most are overgrown. Since the site was very close to both Kilkenny and Wexford we wandered across the boarders and saw a few places in these counties. That might just be the thing I need to begin work on these counties. Next weekend I am back in Sligo to tackle the mighty Knocknarae in order to see Maeve's Cairn. This all depends on the weather of course.
Good news - I found my GPS!
News Archives:
-January, 2011. Sunday, 6th January, 2013: Happy New Year to you all. My New Years resolution is to get out to site more often and spend some time each week working on the website. 2012 was a slow year indeed but this isn't surprising considering I became a father. Everything else seems to fall behind when you have a child. But this year I'm making some time for other things and it's a good excuse to start taking my son to places but obviously I won't be dragging him to the tops of mountains just yet! I've started uploading a large update which should be linked in by the end of the week and finally Co. Clare will be on the Standing Stone.
Monday, 6th August, 2012: I have just looked at my last news entry where I promised to upload something in April. Well that didn't really happen. It's now August and I've got nowhere. Between being a new dad, finishing some important work stuff and starting a whole load of new stuff I have done nothing to the site. Well I have at least answered some months old emails and I'm now sitting down to write an update now. So at last things are moving again but I can't promise it will come with the same fluidity...life gets in the way. Anyway, thank you to those of you who check back in every now and again. I hope it's not getting too boring.
Monday, 23rd April, 2012: Sorry for the prolonged absence. They seem to be coming more frequently these days. I took a few weeks off doing anything website related to spend with my new son who was born on the 26th March. Naturally, he is my prime focus at the moment. I've started preparing some updates again which should start appearing in the next week or so. I will try to get something up for April so I don't go two months with nothing going up. Also realised that I seriously need to archive the old news. I haven't done that since January 2011.
Tuesday, 21st February, 2012: Made a second trip out for this year exploring South Clare, near Limerick. There is a wealth of sites in that area and I only scratched the surface. Plenty of ancient sites and a few later medieval ones. Quin Abbey was a highlight, although I will have to return there as the gates into the abbey itself were locked until the high season after Easter comes around. I hope to add Clare to the site in the next week or two beginning with Holy Island in Lough Derg. I think I could spend a life time in Clare and not see everything.
Thursday, 9th February, 2012: Busy start to the year and life seems to just be getting fuller. I've been posting up stuff most weeks but not with the regularity I would like. Work and the impending arrival of my son has kept me busy. I made my first trip out of the year and explored Glendalough with a group of fellow enthusiasts. Last year I didn't add a single county to the Standing Stone, so this year I'm going to be adding three to make up for this. My aim is to have stuff for every county and I've been neglecting this target. I am hoping to add Wicklow, Clare and Meath in the coming weeks and months. I like to have a few sites ready for a county before I add anything and I have Glendalough, Holy Island and Loughcrew all sat there so it makes sense to get them up onto the site. This should inspire me to add further stuff to those counties soon. I want to start exploring Kilkenny soon as well. It's one of those things that has been on my to do list for years. Belated Happy New Year to you all...
Saturday, 31st December, 2011: Wow...what a year! For me this year has been a rush and unfortunately it has been the website that has suffered as a result. I can't promise things will get better in 2012 but hopefully I will be able to make more updates but I will be a father soon and that will be my priority. I also successfully defended my doctoral thesis just before Christmas...at last. I wish all my readers a happy new year and a great 2012 and thank you for still reading and making this site more successful in 2011.
Saturday, 19th November, 2011: It's been a busy busy couple of months. I've been busy finishing rewrites of my PhD and hopefully that is now it. Because of that I have really been neglecting the site but now I have some time I will be giving it some care and attention. Apart from a weeks holiday soon I will be working on here every day making updates and editing old pages which I really want to get wrapped up. I don't know if I will be able to get the updates going at the speed I like because I'm now an expecting father and I just don't have the time to get out and about to see places like I use to. However, I will persevere!
On a sadder note, I just wanted to say how sad I was to hear about the imminent closure of megalithomania.com. It's been miles ahead of the rest of us online and it will be a huge loss to the online community.
Tuesday, 16th August, 2011: One of my long term goals for this site was to set up a forum. However, there were other forums and another was not necessary. Unfortunately, things have changed and I can now set up my own forum, although it comes only because another has disappeared. I have no idea how successful this forum will be and it all depends on how many people join and more importantly, how many are active. So feel free to get involved. The link to the forums is in the side bar and do read the conditions before you join. Security is strict and initially you will be required to make an introduction before being given more permissions. This is purely an anti-spam measure. Have fun!
Tuesday, 5th July, 2011: I'm glad that I'm finally managing to get this site running again. I'm not at the speed I use to be but I'm definitely making progress. New updates are being prepared and I'm also going back to the my early posts and updating them with hi-res pictures and new formatting so that everything has the same format. It's taking a while but I'm nearly there. Only about 15 posts to reformat. I still have loads offline that needs to be put on the site so keep an eye out for that. I don't think I'll be getting anywhere this weekend as I have a lot of work to do but hopefully I can a few updates prepared. Last weekend I took my fiancée to Roscrea to show her the lovely castle and other sites in the town. I finally got into the Blackmills Museum and saw the original high cross and the Roscrea Pillar which is a mysterious 8th century Christian box, probably from Monaincha Abbey. I had wanted to see this for quite sometime and was delighted to finally get to see it. I will make this a priority and get it uploaded so that Roscrea is finally properly covered. There is just one tower house outside the town in Dungar that I am yet to see and then that's Roscrea completely covered.
Wednesday, 22nd June, 2011: I have been quietly busy this past month and made a few little but productive trips out. I've visited a few old churchyards in Offaly and Tipperary and made a trip into Carlow and Kildare so I have plenty to be getting on with. I've finally managed to upload Carrowmore in Sligo which was a mammoth project but is finally done! I've recently been back to Clonmacnoise which is always a delight and I will add those pictures soon, including those from St. Ciaran's church which was covered in plastic and not visible the last time I was there. I went to the lovely Clonkeen church in Co. Limerick last weekend and am planning to do the 'tourist' trial in Limerick this weekend. They will, of course, eventually find their way on here eventually. It's been an exciting year for visits so far and I hope it continues. The problem is finding the time to upload.
Tuesday, 24th May, 2011: Finally I am back online. I have been moving house recently and have only today got my internet connection sorted out. I've made a new upload and there will be more to come. I've been pretty busy lately and have managed to get out and about to see lots of places. I have been into both Meath and Clare and have seen Loughcrew and Holy Island. In time I will get these onto the site. I am trying to write things about Carrowmore in Sligo and get that online which will be a worthwhile and big upload. Glad to be back with you.
Friday, 15th April, 2011: Again...sorry for the lack of updates. I'm moving in little over a week and anyone who has moves knows the time involved in it...so much to do and so little time. When I am settled in my new home I will be able to start with the updates again. Thanks for you patience.
Tuesday, 5th April, 2011: Busy busy busy. I'm moving soon to that's taking up my time but I'm getting something new up each week and I hope to continue this over the next while and in May I will be able to increase that when I'm settling into my new home. This weekend though I am off to Meath to look at the ancient tombs at Loughcrew. This is the last major megalithic cemetery for me to visit then I will have been to the four sites and then I will be adding Meath to the site. I will be going to Knowth and Dowth in the summer as well and get them up with Newgrange which will be the first Meath site to be uploaded. Thanks for your patience.
Saturday, 26th March, 2011: Sorry for the lack up updating in the past few weeks. 2011 is turning into a very hectic year and I had hoped to to some updating this past week but I've been laid low with Salmonella poisoning so I haven't been up to much. Being ill also scuppered my plans to get out and about this weekend. So hopefully next weekend will be fruitful and I hope to make it to a few places in Kildare and Carlow. I feel that these counties need a bit of attention. I want to get stuck into Kilkenny soon and then I will turn my attention to Limerick for a bit during the summer. As for updates I will have new ones this week and hope to have a major update soon as I plan to upload Carrowmore in Co. Sligo which will involve updating pictures and information for 20 tombs. There are more than 20 there but that's all I have for now.
Monday, 7th February, 2011: Last Saturday the weather was good and perfect for getting out and seeing a few places I've had on my list for a while in county Sligo. The first stop was Deerpark court tomb. Located in forestry land it is easily accessible (with a short walk) and all the pictures I had seen it was surrounded by trees but these have now been cleared and you can get a 360 degree view from the site including good views of Knocknarae which is roughly W of the site but not aligned. Next, we pressed onto the nearby cashel which also has a souterrain. This is a nice little site but is in a field adjacent to the forestry. We spent time carefully climbing over the wall only to find on the way back that there was access further down the wall. We couldn't get to the wedge tomb because of some horses who didn't like the look of us. After this we pressed onto Drumcliff and saw the great high cross and the remains of the round tower.The final stop for the day was Creevykeel court tomb. What an amazing place! It is worth spending some time here to get your head around the unusual layout of the site. The main tomb is standard enough but the extra passages at the rear really stumped me. However, with all manicured sites it has that garden ornament feel - but a very nice one at that.
This weekend we travelled down to the very Southern tip of county Carlow to look at St. Mullins ecclesiastical site. Now while the weather was against us we saw all that the site had to offer and some other local sites. What an amazing place! The motte and bailey there was of particular interest because it is possible to get to the top. Most are overgrown. Since the site was very close to both Kilkenny and Wexford we wandered across the boarders and saw a few places in these counties. That might just be the thing I need to begin work on these counties. Next weekend I am back in Sligo to tackle the mighty Knocknarae in order to see Maeve's Cairn. This all depends on the weather of course.
Good news - I found my GPS!
News Archives:
-2010.
-2009.
Posts
