Millennium Monument, Finnavarra

THE FINNAVARRA MAN LOVES HIS NATIVE LAND LIKE BARNACHS LOVE THE STONE

Why a cap????

CHRIST YESTERDAY TODAY FOREVER

We went for a walk around Abbey Hill in north Clare at the weekend and thereafter went for a drive around the New Quay area. On the way to the Martello Tower, I spotted this unusual feature.

I remember some years ago, CC commented that he regularly purchased local history books when he visited an area. Back then, it did not hit home with me. The ‘current me’, the me doing this blog now has a decent quantity of such local books which so help with the signs and plaques that one might see on one’s travels – as proven by my later purchase of ‘A Burren Village’.

As well as wondering about and admiring the work, there were some initial thoughts rushing about my head including:

I read ‘Christ Yesterday Today Forever’ as ‘Christ was for Yesterday’ Always Live for Today’. It was only when looking back at the photograph that I believe that my original thought was incorrect.

If we had only spotted the monument and book last year, then I would not have needed to ask about W.D. – although the retreat directional arrows would still be new to me.

Well done Mr. Tommy Fahy for providing a very interesting distraction to the passers-by.

Serene he stands amid the flowers

And only counts life’s sunny hours

For him dull days do not exist

The brazen faced old optimist

"Tommy Fahy’s Millennium Monument Finavara Point

Only a few hundred yards from the Martello Tower is the monument, which a local man whose home is in the same location built in 1999, in order to celebrate the Millenium and his family’s being domiciled in the area for over six generations.

This monument is constructed from stones from Tommy’s farm including two millstones which were in use on the farm, and two ‘retreat’ stones from the nearby Martello tower, which were placed there by the British Army when the tower, which were placed there by the British Army when the tower was built to mark the retreat course for the garrison in the event of an invasion by Napoleonic troops.

Tommy also removed these stones to prevent them being stolen by visitors to the area, as has happened in the past, and thus save part of the country’s heritage, as near to their original location as possible.

The monument is an impressive piece of work with the stones used coming from around the farm and as far away as the Cliffs of Moher, and I would say that it will probably last into the next Millennium."





A Burren Village: A Brief History of New Quay and its Environs – Michael Balfe