Tipperary Ireland

The dolmens of Co. Tipperary have been studied in some detail. They number twenty-five, seven of which arc in a fair state of preservation. The principal group is in the hilly district surrounding the village of Kilcommon. It is situated about 10 miles north of Dundrum station and twelve miles north-east of Oola station. Here can be seen the remains of eleven dolmens in a more or less ruined condition, and the sites of four others, spread over a tract of land about seven miles from east to west and four miles from north to south. In the same district are the remains of four or more stone circles. The best preserved dolmen in the county is situated at Baurnadomeeny East. It lies about a quarter of a mile north of the village of Rear Cross, in a valley to the cast of the road, with its axis running cast and west; it measures 24 ft. in length and 10 ft. in breadth. Its eastern end makes a rectangular chamber 10 ft. long, 4 ft. wide, and 4 ft. high : its roof is formed of four large stones. The western chamber measures nearly 7 ft. square and 3 ft. 6 in. high. The amount of earth which still remains on the roof of the dolmen points to it having been originally covered by a mound ; traces of a stone circle which formerly surrounded the dolmen may also be observed.

Though the monuments differ much in size, all appear to belong to one type-that is, a long, low dolmen, with sides parallel or slightly tapering towards the cast, and formed of two or three rows of upright stones placed close together. The central, or perhaps more strictly the eastern, part is a long, narrow chamber, roofed with several large slabs, which are laid almost level or with a slight slope towards the east. To the west of this is a somewhat wider and shorter chamber, separated from the former by one of the most massive stones in the whole structure, and having its roof set at a somewhat higher level.

A Munster earthwork that has claimed much attention is the mote of Knockgraffon, near Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. It is one of the finest motes in Ireland, measuring some 55 ft. in height, with a diameter of about 60 ft. on the top ; it is surrounded by a fosse, and has a hatchet-shaped bailey about 70 paces long by 57 wide attached to it at the western side. The bailey lias a slight rampart round the edge, and beyond this a wide fosse and high vallum, the fosse of the bailey joining that of the mote. Mr. G. H. Orpcn, who considers Knockgraffon to be a Norman mote, has identified it with the castle of Knockgraffon which the Annals of the Four Masters record as having been built by the English of Leinster in 1192, in the course of their expedition against Domhnall O Briain king of North Munster. Other archaeologists have ascribed an earlier date to this mote, and considered it to be the fort of Fiachaidh Muilleathan, who was king of Munster in the third century A.D. It is probable that Knock- graffon originally was a Celtic tumulus which was later used by the Normans as a site for a mote castle.

Another good example of a mote is situated at Lismore, Co. Waterford. It is a lofty conical mound with a flat top, divided by a fosse from a crescent-shaped bailey. King John erected a castellum at Lismore in 1185 A.d. ; probably the mote and bailey represent this.

High Crosses of interest are those at Ahenny, Co. Tipperary. They arc situated in a graveyard formerly called Kilelispeen, about 4 miles north of Carrick-on-Suir. Neither of the crosses contain panels with figure sculpture representing Biblical or other scenes ; they are covered with every kind of spiral, interlaced, and fret patterns. The bases of both crosses are remarkable. On the west face of the north cross are carved seven figures, six of them holding crosiers : on the east is a man standing under a palm tree, with a number of animals in various attitudes in front of him. On the north side is a carving of a chariot and two mounted figures : on the south side is a representation of a procession; it is headed by men holding a ringed cross and a crosier, then comes a horse carrying on its back the headless body of a man upon which are perched two large birds who peck the flesh; the procession ends with a man carrying a child on his back. The base of the south cross is in a worn state, and the carvings of the panels are much defaced : they represent hunting scenes.

Posted on April 17th, 2008 under Antique. Tags: , Ahenny, AnnalsLeinster, bailey, Baurnadomeeny, Carrick-on-Suir, castellum, chamber, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Co. Waterford, Dundrum, Fiachaidh Muilleathan, fosse, High Crosses, Ireland, Kilcommon, Kilelispeen, Knockgraffon, Lismore, Munster, Normans, Oola, Rear Cross, scenes, stones. RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback.