DAY 9 SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014

Today’s Itinerary: Athlone – Clonmacnoise -Shannonbridge – Tullamore distillery tour – Dublin  Guinness Storehouse

 

Monastary of Clonmacnoise

The monastery of Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis in Irish, meaning “Meadow of the Sons of Nós”, or perhaps, albeit less likely, Cluain Muccu Nóis “Meadow of the Pigs of Nós”) is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone.

Clonmacnoise was founded in 546 by Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon. Until the 9th century it had close associations with the kings of Connacht. The strategic location of the monastery helped it become a major centre of religion, learning, craftsmanship, and trade by the 9th century and together with Clonard it was the most famous in Ireland, visited by scholars from all over Europe. From the ninth until the eleventh century it was allied with the kings of Meath. Many of the high kings of Tara and Connacht were buried here.

In the modern day, the site stands as a preserved ruin under the management of the Office of Public Works. An interpretive center and facilities for visitors have been built around the site, which is open to the public for a fee. The graveyard surrounding the site continues to be in use and religious services are held regularly on the site in a modern chapel.

Shortly after his arrival with seven companions – at the point where the major east-west land route through the bogs of central Ireland along the Eiscir Riada, an esker left by the receding glaciers of the last ice age crossed the River Shannon – Saint Ciarán met Diarmait Uí Cerbaill who helped him build the first church at the site. This was a small wooden structure and the first of many small churches to be clustered on the site. Diarmuid was to be the first man to be crowned High King of Ireland while a practising Christian. Ciarán died less than one year later of the yellow fever (Justinian Plague) and was reportedly buried under the original wooden church, now the site of the 9th century stone oratory, Temple Ciarán. Annals record that he died at the age of 33, one of the many coincidences recorded between Ciarán’s life and that of Jesus Christ.

Clonmacnoise’s period of greatest growth came between the 8th and 12th centuries. It was attacked frequently during these four centuries, mostly by the Irish (at least 27 times), the Vikings (at least 7 times) and Normans (at least 6 times). The early wooden buildings began to be replaced by more durable stone structures in the 9th century, and the original population of fewer than ten men grew to perhaps 1,500 to 2,000 by the 11th century. Artisans associated with the site created some of the most beautiful and enduring artworks in metal and stone ever seen in Ireland, with the Clonmacnoise Crozier (on display in the National Museum of Ireland) and the Cross of the Scriptures representing the apex of their efforts. In the 12th century Clonmacnoise began to decline. The reasons were varied, but without doubt the most debilitating factor was the growth of the town of Athlone to the north of the site from the late-12th century. Athlone became the main trading town for the midlands of Ireland, the most popular route for crossing the Shannon, as well as the best-defended settlement in the region. People migrated north from Clonmacnoise to Athlone, and with the fall in population went much of the support that the site needed to survive, and former allies began to recognise the decline in the site’s influence. The influx of continental religious orders such as the Franciscans, Augustinians, Benedictines, Cluniacs, etc. around the same time fed into this decline as numerous competing sites began to crop up. Ireland’s move from a monastic framework to a diocesan one in the twelfth century similarly diminished the site’s religious standing, as it was designated the seat of a small and impoverished diocese. The monastery ruins were one of the stops on the itinerary of Pope John Paul II during his visit to Ireland in 1979.

Buildings and High Crosses

Most of the churches have recently undergone comprehensive conservation works, mostly re-pointing, with the Nun’s Church (about 1 km off site), currently under wraps while it too undergoes the same process.

Temple Finghín & McCarthy’s Tower: Romanesque church and round tower – 12th century. An unusual occurrence was the vandalism of this church in 1864 by a person from Birr on a ‘pleasure party’ to the Seven Churches, as Clonmacnoise was often termed. This led to a landmark case when a prosecution was brought against the vandal by the Crown, due to the efforts of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Some of the funds which had been raised for the prosecution were later used by the Society to repair the cap of the church’s tower. The structure is possibly the earliest example of a church and round tower being part of a single structure in Ireland.

Temple Connor: Church used by the Church of Ireland since the 18th century. It underwent significant restoration works in the second decade of the twentieth century, when the pitch of the roof was raised and the internal space was remodelled. The church is maintained under the auspices of the Athlone Union of Parishes, and each Sunday during the summer a service is held at four o’clock in the afternoon.

O’Rourke’s Tower: Though named O’Rourkes’ Tower after 10th century Connacht king Fergal O’Rourke the Chronicum Scotorum, records that it was finished in 1124 by Turlough O’Connor, king of Connacht, and Gilla Christ Ua Maoileoin, abbot of Clonmacnoise. 11 years later it was struck by lightning, which knocked off the head of the tower. The upper part of the tower is later work, so there is some speculation that the masonry thus toppled in the storm of 1135 may have been reused in the building of McCarthy’s Tower.

North Cross: Oldest of the three extant crosses. Created c.800. Only the limestone shaft and sandstone base (a former millstone) survive. The decoration is non-Christian, with an image of Cernunnos, the Celtic God of hunting and fertility, displayed on the east face of the shaft. It appears that the piece was badly vandalised at some point in its history, a hypothesis which may explain its current state.

Temple Kelly: All that remains of this church are the low-lying perimeter stones, which still give a good indication of the church’s original size.

Temple Ciarán: At 2.8 by 3.8 metres, the smallest church in Clonmacnoise. Traditionally presented as the grave site of St. Ciarán, excavations of the church unearthed the Clonmacnoise Crozier, but no saintly remains.

Cross of the Scriptures: This 4-metre high sandstone cross is one of the most skilfully executed of the surviving high crosses in Ireland, and of particular interest for its surviving inscription, which asks a prayer for Flann Sinna, King of Ireland, and Abbot Colmán who commissioned the cross. Both men were also responsible for the building of the Cathedral. The cross was carved from Clare sandstone c.900. The surface of the cross is divided into panels, showing scenes including the Crucifixion, the Last Judgement, and Christ in the Tomb. The original has been moved into the visitors’ centre to preserve it from the elements; a replica stands at the original site.

Cathedral: Building started around 909 (Chronicum Scotorum) by Flann and Colmán. The west doorway has been recently (and somewhat controversially), comprehensively restored with the Gothic-style north doorway, often called the Whispering Arch, dating to the mid-15th century. The Cathedral is the largest of the churches at Clonmacnoise. Rory O’Connor, the last High King of Ireland, was buried near the altar in 1198, joining his father Turlough. Most of the graves currently seen in the church are those of the Coghlan family, whose patriarch extensively rebuilt the cathedral in the mid-seventeenth century.

Temple Melaghlin: Built c.1200. Also called the King’s Church, due to the fact that at least seven generations of Melaghlin Kings are said to be buried underneath the structure. The church is also believed to have housed the scriptorium, the room where the manuscripts were designed and decorated.

South Cross: A 9th-century piece originally situated at the southern end of the site’s central hub. It has one Christian scene on its west face, a rough carving of the Crucifixion of Christ. Many believe that the Cross may have been part inspiration for the later Cross of the Scriptures. Again, the original is in the interpretative centre, with a replica occupying its original site.

Temple Dowling: Originally built in the 10th century, this tiny church is named after Edmund Dowling, who renovated it in 1689, placing a stone carving of his family crest above the door. Sometimes referred to as MacClaffey’s Church.

Temple Hurpan: Built in the 17th century at the east end of Temple Dowling, this annexe had no religious function outside of being a burial ground for some members of the local parish.

The Fairy’s or Horseman’s Stone

Near the Chapel of Clonfinlough at Clonmacnoise there are several limestone boulders, one of which is called the Fairy’s or Horseman’s Stone. It has many cup-shaped hollows, crosses, daggers, and a pair of human feet (an example of a Petrosomatoglyph) possibly connected with the inauguration of Gaelic rulers.

Shannonbridge

Shannonbridge (Irish: Droichead na Sionainne) is a village located on the River Shannon, at the junction of the R444 and R357 regional roads in County Offaly, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Raghra (Irish: Reachra), at the borders of counties Offaly, Galway and Roscommon, with the majority of the population living east of the bridge in County Offaly. It has a population of approximately 650, and is predominantly low rise and low-density. It contains a number of different building styles, with two housing estates situated within the village. Its location along Ireland’s largest river and its proximity to Clonmacnoise have contributed to tourism being a key factor in its local economy. It is rich in heritage and the village is flanked by a Special Area of Conservation – the Shannon Callows. The physical environment consists of the River Shannon, callows, boglands and the Esker Riada (a major routeway in the 18th century). The village has one of the oldest bridges still in use over the River Shannon, completed in 1757. 

Shannonbridge gets its name from the bridge connecting County Offaly and County Roscommon. Rachra is generally considered the old name for Shannonbridge, but ‘Shannonbridge’ was adopted after the building of the bridge in 1757. The military may have initially constructed a village, the ‘first Shannonbridge’, in the vicinity of Temple Duff graveyard just south of the power station.

Shannonbridge was heavily fortified by the British in the Napoleonic era. Some of the fortifications, including a fort that now houses a restaurant,^[2] are still visible today on the west bank of the river. At Curleys Island between Shannonbridge and Clonmacnoise, there is a legendary ford of Snámh Dá Éan (“swim two birds”). It was here that a proselytising Saint Patrick crossed the Shannon into Connacht and much later the Anglo-Normans considered the ford important enough to be guarded by one of their campaign forts. Accordingly, they constructed the great Motte of Clonburren on the Roscommon side of the river, within sight of an even then declining early Christian nunnery.  The monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise is some 7 km upriver.

Tullamore Distillery Tour

Tullamore Dew is a brand of blended Irish whiskey produced by William Grant & Sons. Although it was originally a pot still whiskey, first distilled in 1829 in Tullamore, County Offaly, the modern product is a blended whiskey that is not produced in Tullamore town. The primary blend ingredients are from the New Midleton Distillery in county Cork (a facility owned by Pernod-Ricard), as are Jameson, Powers, Paddy and the rest of the Irish Distillersproducts. The name derives from the initials of an early manager of the concern, Mr. Daniel E. Williams (abbreviated “D. E. W.” and merged to form “Dew”). Formerly owned and marketed by the Irish company, C&C Group, the label was sold to the Scottish Company William Grant & Sons in 2010.

 History

Tullamore has a history of whiskey distilling. The first modern factory distillery, founded by Michael Molloy, can be traced back to 1829. When Molloy died, the distillery passed into the hands of the Daly family, with Captain Bernard Daly in charge of the business. One of his colleagues, Daniel E. Williams, took over as general manager, and by 1890 he had the distillery in full production. It was from Daniel’s initials (D. E. W.) that the whiskey’s name was derived. Williams brought electricity to Tullamore in 1893. The distillery installed the town’s first telephones and introduced motorised transport. Williams ran various commercial businesses throughout the Irish midlands – drinks businesses, tea importing, seed and grain retail, and a network of 26 general stores.

Following this period Prohibition in the United States, an economic war with Britain in the 1930s and World War II all harmed the industry. Tullamore was one of many distilleries affected by a general decline in Irish whiskey sales worldwide. After World War II Desmond Williams, grandson of Daniel E. Williams, used modern marketing techniques to re-establish Irish whiskey in world markets. In 1947 Desmond Williams also developed Irish Mist, an Irishliqueur made from a blend of whiskey, herbs and honey, using a recipe alleged to have disappeared in the late 17th century, and to have been rediscovered in a manuscript 250 years later. Desmond also capitalised on the Irish coffee concept, and promoted blended whiskies.

In 1953 the brand was sold to Powers and the Tullamore distillery was closed, with its production moved, along with that of Jameson, Powers, Paddy and the rest of the Irish Distillers products, to the New Midleton Distillery in county Cork. The brand was purchased in 1994 by the C&C Group plc. In 2010 C&C sold Tullamore Dew to William Grant & Sons in a €300 million deal.^[1] Most of the current product is made at the New Midleton Distillery. Grant & Sons Ltd. announced that it planned to invest in a new state-of-the-art pot-still whiskey and malt whiskey distillery in Tullamore, which would bring whiskey production back to the town for the first time since the original distillery closed in 1954.^[2] As of 2013, the whiskey currently sells about 850,000 cases per year (an amount that has doubled since 2005).^[3]

Labels

The Tullamore Dew whiskies contain both malted and unmalted barley-based whiskeys, triple distilled and aged between 12 to 15 years in old bourbon or sherry casks. Some pot-still whiskey is included in the blend.

Whiskeys •Tullamore Dew: Tullamore Dew is marketed as “a premium Irish whiskey with a distinctively smooth taste”. Proof66.com, aggregator of expert whiskey ratings, places the Original in its Tier 2 

•Tullamore Dew Single Malt: 10 year old single malt whiskey.

•Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve

•Tullamore Dew Phoenix: released to celebrate the first aviation disaster in history and the re-opening of a Tullamore distillery.

The Guinness Storehouse at St. James Gate

 
Arthur Guinness

Guinness Storehouse (informally the Storehouse, also known as Guinness Hop Store) is a Guinness-themed tourist attraction located at St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Since opening in November 2000, it has received over four million visitors.

The Storehouse is laid out over seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped in the form of a pint of Guinness. The ground floor introduces the beer’s four ingredients (water, barley, hops and yeast), and the brewery’s founder, Arthur Guinness. Other floors feature the history of Guinness advertising and include an interactive exhibit on responsible drinking. The seventh floor houses the Gravity Bar with views of Dublin and where visitors may drink a pint of Guinness included in the price of admission, which was €16.75 (€15.00 if booked online) as of April 2014.  In 2006, a new wing opened incorporating a live installation of the present day brewing process.The building in which the Storehouse is located was constructed in 1902 as a fermentation plant for the St. James’s Gate Brewery (where yeast is added to the brew). The building was designed in the style of the Chicago School of Architecture and was the first multi-storey steel-framed building to be constructed in Ireland. The building was used continuously as the fermentation plant of the Brewery until its closure in 1988, when a new fermentation plant was completed near the River Liffey.

In 1997, it was decided to convert the building into the Guinness Storehouse, replacing the Guinness Hop Store as the Brewery’s visitor centre. The redesign of the building was undertaken by the UK-based design firm Imagination in conjunction with the Dublin-based architects firm RKD, and the Storehouse opened to the public on 2 December 2000. In 2006 a new wing was developed at a cost of €2.5 million, including a live installation demonstrating the modern brewing process.

The Guinness Storehouse explains the history of Guinness. The story is told through various interactive exhibition areas including ingredients, brewing, transport, cooperage, advertising and sponsorship. At the base of the atrium lies a copy of the 9,000 year lease signed by Arthur Guinness on the brewery site. In the Perfect Pint bar, visitors may pour their own pint of Guinness. The Brewery Bar on the fifth floor offers Irish cuisine, using Guinness both in the cooking and as an accompaniment to food  In May 2011, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the Storehouse as part of a state visit to Ireland.

Our trip is almost over. But the memories will last a lifetime. This will be our last night in Ireland (Dublin).  We will spend the night at Bewley’s Hotel which is near Dublin airport. Click here to view Bewleys Lift-off from Dublin in our Aer Lingus aircraft is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Dublin time.  We will arrive in Chicago at 1:50 p.m. Chicago time which is 2:50 p.m. Michigan time..