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 of Allen.
I turned north off the canal shortly after and came across the Ballyteague Mass Rock. I am always surprised when I cycle past this monument – I can never remember what stretch of road it is on. Hopefully the authorities back in the day had this problem too. A stone cross was erected at the site in the 1990s in memory of all those who worshipped there in Penal times.
Onwards to Lullymore to visit the monastic site. I stopped at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre where there is a monument to Captain John Doorly who was executed for his part in the 1798 rebellion – I’ll come back to him in later posts. The wall behind the monument contains seven cross inscribed stones which were moved from the monastic site.
Across the road from the monument is the path leading to the monastic site. The monastery was founded in the 5th century by St Patrick. A rock at the entrance to the graveyard has a depression resembling a footprint which supposedly was put there by the great man himself. The graveyard is a rectangular area enclosed by a nice stone wall. I particularly liked the stone stile in the wall next to the gate. There are good information boards outside the graveyard, detailing a recent archaeological survey of the site. The old circular ecclesiastical enclosure can be seen as an earthen bank in the land surrounding the graveyard.
I spent far too long wandering around the graveyard and looking into the surrounding fields. I was shivering getting back on the bike and didn’t warm up until I was past Rathangan and on the hillier roads around Dunmurray. Winter spins will need to be thought out a bit more carefully in the future!
