• 2024 Cycling - General

    Stiles, Stiles, Stiles!

    May 29, 2024 - By 

    The Historical Environment Viewer on archaeology.ie is a wonderful resource. Archaeological features can be sorted by category but they have no category covering stone stiles. This is because stiles are not considered as archaeological under the current pre-1700 definition of archaeological features. Hopefully when the Historic and Archaeological Heritage Bill 2023 is enacted, stiles will become a standalone category in the records. As part of the Data Capture and Manipulation module of my Digital Mapping and GIS course last year, I was required to carry out a field survey. Having completed a Certificate in Irish Archaeology with ATU Sligo, I…

  • 2024 Cycling - General

    Brigid 1500

    March 8, 2024 - By 

    Today was a very special day in Kildare Town. According to legend, St Brigid died on 1st February 524 – 1500 years ago today. Many events were held across the county and beyond to mark the day. I was fortunate to be able to attend two events in St Brigid’s Cathedral – the Service of Thanksgiving in the morning and the Altan concert in the evening. To be celebrating the occasion in the place where St Brigid lived and died was very special. The Service of Thanksgiving finished with the Pause for Peace and everyone made their way to the…

  • 2022 Cycling - General

    St Brigid’s Day

    February 1, 2022 - By 

    A few years ago, I cycled home to Kildare after a family weekend in Dundalk. The hook for my cycle was to connect the birthplace of St Brigid in Faughart, just outside Dundalk, with Kildare where Brigid lived and died. This year, to mark St Brigid’s Day, I decided on the shorter (and much flatter!) cycle to Umeras, a townland just outside Monasterevan. Local legend says that this is the actual birth place of Brigid. Umeras is on the Grand Canal between Rathangan and Monasterevan so it was a good opportunity to try out the new cycle path along the…

  • 2021 Cycling

    Lullymore Monastic Site

    November 15, 2021 - By 

    Monday November 1st 2021 The winter cycling gear came out of the wardrobe today. I wrapped up well and was warm by the time I reached the quiet roads through the bog in Pluckerstown. The first stop on my cycle was Ballyteague Castle on the banks of the Grand Canal. This is a formidable looking tower house. The few slit windows must make for a very dark interior with no view of the lovely setting. The castle was built as a folly in the mid 1800s by the Aylmer family who are also responsible for the folly on the Hill…

  • 2021 Cycling

    Feighcullen, Rathangan, Co Kildare

    November 8, 2021 - By 

    I decided to visit the old church in Feighcullen, Rathangan today. The church is a 10km cycle from home and I had the wind on my back across The Curragh making it a quick spin. The church is accessed through a gate opposite the bottom of Boston Hill. Coming down the lane to the church, I was surprised to see the state of disrepair that the church has fallen into. I hadn’t visited for around 15 years despite cycling the roads around there regularly. The door of the church is now gone and there is rubbish scattered around the insides…

  • 2021 Cycling

    Welcome to Heritage Cycles

    November 8, 2021 - By 

    I was browsing through the photos on my phone recently. There are plenty of of photos and videos of my family but these are far outnumbered by photos taken while I was out cycling. I love cycling the quiet country roads of Ireland. There is so much to see when you slow down a little and look over the hedges. The countryside is dotted with evidence of our past from rare Mesolithic sites to numerous ruined churches and old graveyards. I have decided to keep an online diary of my cycles for the coming year and record the sites of…