“And then night fell and there you were
in the space that sits between
the silky stitches that link reality
the fabric of my dreams.”
Sitting silently on the banks of the River Corrib, Menlo Castle is a twilight haven only a stone’s throw from the city of Galway. Best visited in the quiet hours of a summer evening, the tranquil setting is nothing but breathtaking, the sad monument watching from the trees the only hint of her tragic history.
“Ten years of indulgences, as I hand over my weighted purse, my transgressions lifted into stone. And the grand east window watches on and smiles, that through our sin, her glory shines.”
If sass was ever to be used to describe an abbey, then Clontuskert simply abounds. Filled to the brim with beautiful carvings and surprises, there are few that can top her many treasures. Burnt down in the early 15th Century, the abbey was rebuilt upon the granting of indulgences – 10 years for all those who would help fund her repair. It’s hard to not imagine then, gazing through the intricate west doorway towards the grand east window, just what sins were washed away to bring to life such beauty.
Find this fabulous site and many more of my favourite places here. Come explore with me…
Copyright © 2017 Claire Loader. All Rights Reserved.
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“To safety, to the bridge, you will find your refuge there. But instead I found a sword, stuck right into my back, and found instead my refuge in the sound of my last breath.”
There is an eeriness about Shrule Castle when you learn of the massacre that took place there in 1642 – a group of English settlers seeking safety in Galway, killed by their escort. The towering De Burgo walls, with their four great bartizans, look on towards the Black River still, watching as the waters speed by and the memory of her lands with it.
Seek out this and the many other ruins I have visited here. Come explore with me…
Copyright © 2017 Claire Loader. All Rights Reserved.
