Our visit to Ireland included stone circles, and several that we were not expecting filled us with delight. At the border of Cork and Kerry counties we found Dromagorteen Heritage Park, where a group of stone age monuments were preserved and cared for in a very pleasing manner. The sign on the highway drew our attention, we were suspicious, but followed the directions, and found a real wonder!
Dromagorteen Stone Circle with Lunar and Solar alignments
This circle is not large, about 30 metres in diameter, but it is in a glorious setting, and has a wonderful feeling of happiness and wellbeing. The ancient people who lived here and made the circle had a very close relationship with nature, with the cycles of the earth and moon in space, and somehow that is comforting to discover.
Here are the notes from I have copied from http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=3208 : Axial stone circle in Kerry. The stone circle is situated in the townland of Dromagorteen and is one of the finest examples in the Cork/Kerry region. One of its most striking features is its vantage point overlooking the valley. It is known locally as the “Judge and Jury” as it consists of thirteen stones with a central bolder burial.
It is the centrepiece of a complex astronomical calendar, which includes both solar and lunar cycles. Monuments on the horizon mark the rising and setting of the moon on significant dates. An imaginary axis drawn from these points to the stone circle reveals the astonishing fact that many of the monuments in the valley are on or close to these radial lines.
This comment was made by anonymous recently: I love this site, it’s not over crowded and it has great photo opportunities. Yes the incline is steep but when we went, there was someone on site to open the gate and let us drive up. The area is well maintained and the information boards are simple and succinct. It does the heart good to see what a community can do when it pulls together; I live in a big city in England and trust me this would never happen. The 4 euro entrance fee was well worth it and all in all we spent about an hour and a half there. Even if you’re not into stone circles and the like, there is something special about the atmosphere so make a point of going.
Dromagorteen circle and the Bonane Heritage Park with its Ring Fort and Bullaun Stone are well worth the visit …. so if you are over in that gorgeous green SW corner of Ireland make sure to drop in.
Thank to Frizz for his Story Challenge each week ….. http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/story-challenge-letter-s/
heartfelt images 