One may be forgiven for feeling trenched in utter astonishment after finding a statement concerning the National monument no. 140, Grianán of Aileach, mentioned in a press release responding to accusations made by the Garda Representative Association against the OPW.
The rather generous spending habits of this state body hit the headlines in Donegal after it [...]
Archive for the ‘Grianan Aileach’ Category
The OPW, three light bulbs and a National monument
Posted in Grianan Aileach, Heritage Protection, tagged Grianan Aileach on May 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Holes above the gate
Posted in Grianan Aileach, Heritage Protection, tagged Grianan Aileach on May 12, 2009 | 1 Comment »
When the day comes, and one more but decisive part of our past will crumble under the higher, bigger, faster grip of our hand, we will fall with it.
After all, the great universe itself will reach eventually the point, where it can expand no further and will implode into the grain of dust, it grew [...]
A suspect for the hill
Posted in A suspect for the hill, Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on March 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Around two weeks ago I came across an ancient name of a hill in Inishowen situated between Loughs Foyle and Swilly, called Crommal or Cromla. Theoretically all hills on Inishowen, except for those at Malin, lay between the two loughs, but this description is commonly used for the narrow neck which forms the connection between [...]
The past was orange – A note to its discovery
Posted in Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on March 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
In 1824 Colonel Thomas Frederick Colby, of the Royal Engineers, was put in charge of the general direction of the arrangements of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland. Lieutenant Thomas Drummond, Lieutenant Thomas Aiskew Larcom and Lieutenant Joseph Ellison Portlock were appointed the same year to assist Colonel Colby. In 1829 Portlock became head of the [...]
Letter to the editor 1838
Posted in Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on February 18, 2009 | 3 Comments »
THE ORDNANCE SURVEY – GREENAN.
To the Editor of the Dublin University Magazine.
”His tibi Grynæi nemoris dicatur origo
Ne quis sit lucus, quo se plus jactet Apollo,”
Virgil, Ecl. 6, L. 72, &c.
DEAR SIR – Conceiving that whatever relates to the statistics of Ireland, and its antiquities in particular, forms matter most appropriate for your valuable [...]
Given the Cinderella
Posted in Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on February 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
My much appreciated neighbour just brought me some pages from last weeks Inish Times, a local newspaper. In the short breaks section they kindly added Inishowen to it under the heading: ‘A heavenly haven’. From it the following quote:
“The name Inishowen comes from the Irish meaning Island of Eoghain. Eoghain was the son of Niall [...]
A short circuit of the feast at Aileach
Posted in Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on February 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I could have sworn I walked over the ground today where the banqueting hall of this feast once stood:
The kings of Erin in fetters,
With Muircheartach son of warlike Niall,
Ten hundred heroes of distinguished valour
Of the race of the fierce fair Eoghan.
The Son of the living God was pleased
With Muircheartach, the son of Niall;
Long in possession [...]
With many thanks to John
Posted in Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on February 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Determined not to hit the brakes under any circumstances in the most treacherous bend on Greenan Hill, covered with ice and snow, is one thing, reflexes by habit another. As a result my car got out of control and went like a shot through the bank beside the road. It should have tipped over at [...]
About my association with Grianan
Posted in Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on February 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
An email I received this morning:
‘Dear Ms Bettina Linke,
I am a student in Derry and I am doing research on Grianán Ailigh for a dissertation. I was just wondering what your association with Grianán is, and how you came to be interested in its history and restoration?
Yours sincerely,’
And my reply:
Dear …
Thank you for your email.
Although [...]
Between Aileach and a hard place
Posted in Election, Grianan Aileach, tagged Grianan Aileach on January 31, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
My letter to the editor was not published but our councillors seem to have finally gotten hold of information they all lacked so badly last week. One even ‘attributed the problems to the break up of the state body Duchas’. Now they are all puffing and shoving for votes in the upcoming election for the [...]
