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Fieldnotes (1)
Folklore (1)

Sites in City of Shrone

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Images

Image of City of Shrone (Christianised Site) by Meic

Image credit: Michael Mitchell

Meic Jan 30, 2012

30th January 2012

Image credit: Michael Mitchell

Meic Jan 30, 2012

30th January 2012

Image credit: Michael Mitchell

Meic Jan 30, 2012

Image of City of Shrone (Christianised Site) by bawn79

Looking south thru entrance in the wall

bawn79 May 28, 2008

You get an idea of the thickness of the walls of the cathair from this

bawn79 May 28, 2008

These stones are described as megaliths on the plan on the notice board

bawn79 May 28, 2008

Cross inscibed earth bound stones again within the cathair

bawn79 May 28, 2008

Cross Inscribed stones within the cathair

bawn79 May 28, 2008

Notice board at the road before you enter the city, it is interesting that the road into the city forms a circle or a pattern also.

bawn79 May 28, 2008

Articles

City of Shrone

Christianised Site

bawn79 May 28, 2008

The City of Shrone is a very interesting site as the information boards attest due to its continous use since the Neolithic and its relationship with the Paps of Anu.
To get there best to head to Rathmore and there is a road to the west of the town that leads almost directly to the site.
It is interesting that the road itself form a circle leading to the cathair. Maybe this was once part of a pattern.
There is an information sign at the school just before the entrance to the road into The City and a second information sign just at The City.
The second sign kinda points you south to the Paps while The City itself is to the north of the sign in behind some old farm sheds. Not exactly the setting I expected for a “City”.
The OS map points to an ogham stone around the cathair but I couldnt find it.
The holy well just to the west of the cathair, although modernised’ is lovely as it contiunous bubbles up and the water tasted great.
The cross inscribed slabs are interesting because they look as if they have been ‘renewed’ or rescratched recently.
I met a few people around the site and they all seemed very friendly to people coming to The City.

City of Shrone

Christianised Site

bawn79 May 28, 2008

Taken from the 2 information boards in the vicinity of the site.

Known locally as The City, an amusing name for such a rural site. However “City” is a modern translation of ‘Cathair’ the Irish word that meant “Stone Fort of Castle” eg Cathair na Steige – Staighe Fort in south west Kerry – as there were no “cities” in Ireland at that time. Ongoing site excavations are attempting to establish the relationship between this ancient site and the cairn-crowned Paps Mountains. They are also investigation, the possibility that The City may have evolved from a sacred Neolithic monument.
The site is known locally as Cathair Craobh Dearg, meaning Fort of the Red Claw, which is thought to refer to one of the triad of war goddesses, who manifested herself as a raven in battle. Despite its pagan origins the name was bestowed upon one of the area’s three sister saints (St. Craobh Dearg, St. Laitiaran, St. Gobnait), revered from Early Christain times. The site’s holy well which was previously used in pagan spirituality is now a source of Christian Holy Water.
One of the western worlds oldest centres of continued worship and celebration, The City is symbolic of Ireland’s transition from paganism to Christianity. May Day scenes at The City have included pagan rituals, trading, the herding of my kin and other traditional breeds of cow (such as the Driomnionn) for healing at the site and prayer recitals whilst doing ‘the rounds’ which remain an annual occurrence here.

This cashel, caher or stone fort is known locally as ‘The City’. In pre-Christain ritual, this site was associated with The Paps which represent Anu, the Mother Goddess. The cairns on the summits of The Paps are likely to date to either the Neolithic or Bronze Age (Connolly & Coyne 2002). The term ‘Crobh Dearg’ (“red claw”) suggests a triad of war goddesses who manifested themselves as ravens or crows.
In Celtic spirituality, The City was a Penitential Station. John O’Donovan (1841) reported that the peasantry performed stations (or rounds) there and drove their cattle to drink from the holy well in the west side of the site. In his book, “In the Shadow of the Paps” (2001), Dan Cronin gives details of the traditional manner of “paying the rounds”.

For much of the 20th century Christian piety and festive frolics attracted crowds on May Day. Traders came from as far away as Cork City.

In recent decades people came during May to pray the Rosary as they walk clockwise inside and outside the cashel wall.