Caherconnell Fort

Tarry

So, I headed west from my homeland in the Pale last year to do a bit of snooping around the Burren, and took enough pictures to shame an American tourist. Some of the family in England are making sounds about holidaying in Clare this year, and I'm trying to convince them they should.

I just have one mortifying problem when I try to show them the pictures of the stone fort.

Lads, how do ye pronounce 'Caherconnell'? Is the first half one syllable like Cahir, or is it two syllables like in Cahersiveen? I'm embarrassed telling them I don't know.

Kradock

Tarry wrote: »

So, I headed west from my homeland in the Pale last year to do a bit of snooping around the Burren, and took enough pictures to shame an American tourist. Some of the family in England are making sounds about holidaying in Clare this year, and I'm trying to convince them they should.

I just have one mortifying problem when I try to show them the pictures of the stone fort.

Lads, how do ye pronounce 'Caherconnell'? Is the first half one syllable like Cahir, or is it two syllables like in Cahersiveen? I'm embarrassed telling them I don't know.

Ca - her - con - nell

Sundew

Yep it's two syllables like the Caher in "Caherciveen"

Clareman

Yeah, first part is Caher like Caherciveen as Sundew said, other part is the same as O'Connell street

Akrasia

The thing with caherconnell is that, well, it's not that old is it.

I'm used to clare monuments at least 2 thousand years old. Caherconnell was built in about 400ad and inhabited up to 800 years ago.

We have abbeys that are almost as old as that

Sure it's in good nick, but that's cause it's only a baby compared to some of the other ring forts nearby (like Mooghaun near newmarket)

Western_sean

Tarry thanks for your interest in Caherconnell I'm glad you enjoyed your vist.

I'm used to clare monuments at least 2 thousand years old. Caherconnell was built in about 400ad

I'd make 2 points about this firstly being older doesn't make something better or more interesting and secondly in the scheme of things 1600 years is a pretty good age for a stone ringfort. As it turns out radio carbon dating so far only shows habitation from the early 10th century - see link below.

inhabited up to 800 years ago.

Actually research from the dig which took place at Caherconnell in 2007 suggests the fort was inhabited up to the 17th century. As I understand it, this makes Caherconnell the most recently inhabited fort, of its type, archaeologists have found so far.

All at Final Dig report Caherconnell 2007

There will be a further research dig at Caherconnell this summer so perhaps we will find out more from that.

Thanks for your interest in Caherconnell
Sean

croker95

Does anyone know what the works to Ennis Abbey (or Ennis Friary as its called on the Heritage Websites) on Abbey St are ?
I have heard rumors that they are going to roof a section of the main building where there is a lot of scaffolding at the moment ? Are there any plans for a visitor centre etc ?

emanresu

croker95 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the works to Ennis Abbey (or Ennis Friary as its called on the Heritage Websites) on Abbey St are ?
I have heard rumors that they are going to roof a section of the main building where there is a lot of scaffolding at the moment ? Are there any plans for a visitor centre etc ?

I can't answer that as I haven't heard anything about it. But, about five years ago, the OPW put a glass roof with a metal frame on a part of Kilfenora Cathedral. Some of the crosses from the church grounds were then placed in the roofed section to protect them from the weather. Maybe they are going to do something similar in Ennis.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Kilfenora_Cathedral.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23747878@N00/500048350/
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/1610599
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_vyu5I2vugI8/SEvy-CdunAI/AAAAAAAAAis/Zti4WLxftFg/PICT0059.JPG

This undated webpage http://www.shaffrey.ie/projects_list_consult.htm mentions design proposals for Ennis Friary for "reroofing of nave to accommodate Exhibition Space for important collection of architectural stone".

katkin

croker95 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the works to Ennis Abbey (or Ennis Friary as its called on the Heritage Websites) on Abbey St are ?
I have heard rumors that they are going to roof a section of the main building where there is a lot of scaffolding at the moment ? Are there any plans for a visitor centre etc ?

Ya as far as I know they are roofing part of it in order to protect it and some of the sculptures from the weather. As for a visitor centre, it opens up that possibility but again AFAIK there are no immediate plans for this.