Wednesday, 27 May 2009

That wonderful spot

On a visit to Grianan of Aileach a while back, I met 'Unknown Swilly', one of its great protectors and a student of the past of this part of the world. She's unimpressed by recent work at the monument by the Office of Public Works, and wrote three years ago -


Whoever attempts the telling of the story of Ailech of the herds after the noble Eochaid, it is robbing the sword from the hand of Hercules."
Grianan Aileach's demise and dilapidation has been of great concern to me for the last six years and it is most unlikely that it will go away any time soon, rather the opposite.

Since the day I stood for the first time in front of this force of grandeur and pride I have been bound by its spell, and it does personally hurt to see how one blow after the other is served while Grianan Aileach is already on its knees. Utter inalation by restoration. Grianan is being taken apart piece by piece until it as well will join the long line of failed deceptions and will be discarded, so that one day a strange gathering indeed will stand on its remains and conclude, that it is hardly worthwhile to keep all this rubble on such a magnificent spot.
This is a journey of crossing over and its outcome is not as decisive yet as taking the sword from a hero's hand.




I'm planning to have a closer look at her site - http://unknownswilly.orgfree.com/grianan.html

There's a the theory that Grianan was a spot specifically for sun worship, the walls built to concentrate the minds of those inside on what was happening in the sky, rather than the magnifcent scenery all around. She mentioned the idea that the ancient fort of Aileach was actually in another, much more defensively-orientated, location - Elaghmore, not far away.

Check out -
http://unknownswilly.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/letter-to-the-editor-1838

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