Today I was in Liam Ruisèal Teo and purchased a book by Colm Murphy, Irish Athletes & The Olympic Games, Stockholm 1912. It profiles 46 men who participated in the 1912 Games. I was flicking through this afternoon and was reading about Timothy ‘Tim’ Leahy who is described as ‘the last of the brothers’. He was from Cregane, Co.Limerick and went to school at Charleville C.B.S. – where Éamon deValera was also a pupil. He had the highest jump in 1910. I am unsure as to why he is included in the book as the book does not state that he participated in the 1912 Olympics which appears to be confirmed by the Athletics Ireland website. |
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QUESTION ONE
I am not alone in being intrigued as to John O’Neill, 1838.
I recently came across this painted stone between Naad and Banteer in North Cork, just before Lacka. Resorting to the web did reveal a very interesting John O’Neill who died in 1838 and who arrived in America at the age of 18. But maybe that is just co-incidence. If he was from Brosna, he might have travelled that road to Cork/Cobh. But then again he might not. On first glance, he does not appear to be in the book ‘The Story of Brosna’ but I will read more carefully to confirm. Maybe it was just painted for fun to puzzle the passer-by like me. If so, it succeeded.
I had heard of the old tradition of placing coins into the bark of trees or as offerings at holy wells. I remember, when I was young, visiting Gougane Barra and being amazed at the coins hammered into the tree and then last year seeing a sign requesting that coins not be placed in the tree. Until recently, I had never seen coins hammered into a rock. These were taken on a walk into Derrymore Glen, near Camp on the Dingle Peninsula when the rock was used as a table for a food and drink break. The web does indicate the practice of hammering stones into a mass rock in Armagh as a type of offering. Maybe that is what I saw in Derrymore. Or maybe it is something completely different. A while back, I commented on the street art in Limerick and promised a few more images.
Well today is as good a day as any… I took these photos last August when we walked along the Cliffs of Moher.
My curiosity as to the meaning or reasoning of the stone towers, stone assemblies, or even stone heaps has not yet been satisfied. Are they an Irish version of Inukshuk? So I might as well throw it out there for anyone passing by with a suggestion. I think that I can see:
- A skull and crossbones - A coffin - A jester’s hat - A timer, and - Some lettering that I could not fully make out An unusual engraving I thought. Where do you think it might be found? Last month, a friend was carrying out some works to his garden and pointed out the above plaque which was uncovered in his back wall which adjoins the old Collins Barracks Tennis Club that is part of the Camp Field complex. It appears to read: W ↑ D No 5 ←F W TO 4 C W TO 9→ The oracle that is Tom Spalding has suggested that WD would stand for War Department which is consistent with the wall being boundary of the old Victoria Barracks . Any suggestions for FW and CW would be very welcome. Since then I have spotted three similar engraved limestone inserts on the wall by Christian Brothers College and one on Old Youghal Road onto the Camp Field. I spotted this stone feature in the wall of the former Irish Distillers complex on the North Mall. It is just before the bend as one swings left up along Sunday’s Well Road.
As a cut limestone piece in an ornate style, it appears a bit of a Shawshank Redemption stone being totally different to the random sandstone that adjoins it. My best guess on the lettering is S B H 6 but as to what it means and why it is there, I do not know. Any and all suggestions will be welcome. |
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