Folklorist George Paterson recalls.... The King's Ring was a grand place once, but they took stones to build the lock on Newry Canal.There was a time when there was music in the ring. It was quare music, one minute it would coax the heart out of you, and the next it would scare the living daylights out of you. Maybe it is laments for the oul' kings that are played.
Truly a site for a King. Nearby Fathom Hill (Flagstaff) is a superb vantage point looking for miles over the Lough and the Mourne mountains
There has been recent new building - conversions - nearby and it is possible to imagine the abundant new dry stone walling repositioned as the cairn stones they possibly were.
Impressive monument and well kept. Lots more under the ground to stimulate the imagination
The whole is left intact by the nature of its surroundings. The interior of the chamber is filled with small field stones, and no means are left to examine it; but I understand that tradition tells of "curious things" being got in the inside at one time.
The writer simultaneously is pleased by the protection three walls meeting at the tomb have provided, yet is desperate to have all the stones removed so its "goodly appearance" can once more be seen. It's obviously all tidied up now though. Over tidied one suspects? From a piece by Thomas Hall (with pre-tidied photos) in the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 5th series, v24, no.1 (1904).
A full moon brought me back to Clontygora, hoping to get a better picture of the moon between the superbly shaped court stones than last year (http://cianmcliam.smugmug.com/gallery/345408/1/13728798/Large) but I only confirmed what I thought already, its impossible to get a nice detailed moon shot by time its moved into the right position because the rest of the image is black, needs to be done during the late evening when the sky is still fairly bright.
Another dissapointment was the discovery that a HUGE new barn/workshop type thing has been built right across the road and is impossible to ignore while here.
Nevertheless, Clontygora is still a great place to be and hats off to whoever keeps the grass so neat. Of all the sites I've been to though, this place has the highest concentration of dog-dirt I've ever come across, even in the chamber. Be careful where you tread!
Log in |
Register
Northern Ireland
0 discussions
Show | 
Posted by stubob
Posted by Rhiannon
Posted by ryaner
Posted by CianMcLiam
Top of page