Page 35 - The Drivers Guide 2019

The Driver's Guide
of the Pale. Between the 13th and 17th century it was in the hands of the English until the O’Neills took it over in a major struggle. King James II used it as his headquarters for a month prior to the Battle of the Boyne. It is still used as a courthouse to this day.
PROLEEK DOLMEN
JN 18 (R173) TOWARDS CARLINGFORD
5 min from exit
Situated in the grounds of Ballymascanlon Hotel, the magnificent Proleek Dolmen (portal tomb), is one of the finest examples of its kind in Ireland. The Proleek Dolmen is about 3m high and has a huge capstone weighing approximately 35 tons. There is also a Bronze Age wedge tomb nearby.
CASTLE ROCHE
JN 17 (N35) TOWARDS CASTLEBLAYNEY
8 min from exit
Castle Roche is one of the most striking Anglo- Norman castles in Ireland and can be viewed for miles around. Located 10 km north-west of Dundalk, it was the seat of the De Verdun family, who built the castle in 1236 AD. Located on a rocky hilltop, it commands wonderful views of the surrounding countryside.
KING JOHN’S CASTLE
FROM THE END OF THE M1 TAKE EXIT OFF AT JUNCTION 18- SIGNPOSTED (R152) N52 DUNDALK NORTH CARLINGFORD
Follow the R173 to Carlingford
Also known as Carlingford Castle, King John’s Castle dates back to the late 12th century and is located in Carlingford town’s harbour, halfway along the south coast of Carlingford Lough in County Louth. Built by the Norman knight Hugh de Lacy, this fortress steeped in ancient history offers stunning views across the Lough towards the Mourne Mountains and legend has it that King John, Lord of Ireland, stayed here for three days in 1210 AD. At present, King John’s Castle is not used for any type of tours due to the danger of falling masonry in the castle’s interior. However, anyone can walk around it at any time and consume the lush atmosphere.
County Monaghan is best described as
the ‘Drumlin County’. With its rolling hills, glistening lakes, history and heritage, it’s a destination worth the visit.
THE JUMPING CHURCH
KILDEMOCK, HUNTERSTOWN, OFF N2 BEFORE ARDEE
Found just 4km south of Ardee, County Louth, the Kildemock Jumping Church ruin is a popular attraction. According to legend, the west gable of the building jumped two feet inside the wall of the original foundation to exclude an excommunicated church member who had been buried in the church. The ruin dates back to the 14th century, though the site also contains carved stones from the 13th century.
LEGENDS OF COUNTY LOUTH
The Brown Bull Of Cooley
Cúchulainn is most celebrated in his pivotal role in the epic Táin Bó Cuailnge (pronounced - Tawn Bow Coole-in-ya), the cattle raid of Cooley, which is a peninsula in modern county Louth. The Táin Bó Cuailnge, written more than 1,200 years ago, is Ireland’s greatest legend and one of Europe’s oldest epics.
In this saga Queen Maeve of Connacht and her husband Ailill decide one night to compare their possessions. After much discussion, it becomes evident that Ailill owns a great white bull, Finnbennach, of which Maeve has no equal. There is only one bull in Ireland equal to Finbennach, the great brown bull of Cooley (Cooley is a peninsula in modern day Co. Louth). Maeve decides she must have the Brown Bull... and so begins the story of the Táin.
Maeve and her armies set off from the Royal Palace at Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon in pursuit of the Brown Bull. Maeve lines up a formidable army against Ulster and invokes a magic spell against the Ulstermen.
The only thing that stands in her way is Cuchulainn, the greatest of all Celtic heroes, who defends the Brown Bull and the lands of Ulster, as his fellow warriors lie asleep under the spell. Since Cúchulainn is not a born Ulsterman he is unaffected by the spell. Single-handedly our hero takes on Maeve’s army. Cute and cunning Maeve uses her wiles to make another great warrior, Ferdia, jealous of Cúchulainn. Against his better
judgement Ferdia is lured into facing his friend and foster brother Cúchulainn, which brings the tale to an epic and tragic conclusion.
MONAGHAN
INNISKEEN ROUND TOWER
JN 17 (N53) TOWARDS INNISKEEN
13 min from exit
The remains of St Daig’s monastery at Inniskeen are to be found in the church cemetery. The first records of a monastery here date back to 685 AD. St Daig studied under St Ciaran at Clonmacnois, and St Colmcille is said to have been present at the foundation and blessed the monastery. Partial remains of a round tower exist today. It is 12 metres high and constructed of hammered whinstone with a raised doorway 14 feet above the ground. The site was burned in 789 AD.
THE PATRICK KAVANAGH TRAIL/HERITAGE CENTRE JN 17 (N53) TOWARDS INNISKEEN
13 min from exit
In Ireland’s Ancient East, the storyteller or bard was a man of great importance. This tradition was passed on from generation to generation, and none became master of words like Patrick Kavanagh of Inniskeen, who told his stories of Irish country life - of tilling potato beds, secret flirtations, his love of the land - in the voice of the people he knew. In simple yet sublimely lyrical lines, his poems capture the beauty of the landscape and the richly colourful lives of those who inhabit it.
Kavanagh devotees visiting Inniskeen should stop by the Patrick Kavanagh Centre, which houses exhibitions on the life and works of the poet and on local history. The centre also runs hugely entertaining tours along the Kavanagh Trail which takes in many local sites immortalised by Kavanagh’s poems, such as Tarry Flynn and the Green Fool, with a few amusing anecdotes and readings along the way.
Discover the essence of a poet who saw the beauty in ordinary things and, empowered with his vision, take the trail around Inniskeen, barely changed since his day.
IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST 33