Heritage

Coomnasahern rock art kerry sark sky reserve

The Kerry Reserve Space has numerous examples of the ancient world, when stone was the material of choice in mapping the movement of the Sun, Moon & Stars. Stone was also the canvas on which our ancient ancestors painstakingly etched complicated symbols. We call these examples ‘rock art’, though if you compare them with the cave drawings from in other parts of Europe it is evident that ‘art’ was not in the minds of the Neolithic stone etchers. Swirls, cups and circles and how they interconnected with each other obviously had a deep meaning and purpose long lost through the mists of time. Experts in this field of archaeology still disagree on their purpose.

SO WHAT IS HERITAGE?

Kerry dark-sky reserve - wedge tomb at caherdaniel - julie ormonde

Wedge tomb, Coomachoiste – credit Julie Ormonde

Heritage is an essential part of the present we live in–and of the future we will build. Heritage includes, but is much more than preserving, excavating, displaying, or restoring a collection of old things. It is both tangible and intangible, in the sense that ideas and memories–of songs, recipes, language, dances, and many other elements of who we are and how we identify ourselves–are as important as historical buildings and archaeological sites. This page of the website mainly covers the ancient history of the Kerry Reserve Space because of its unique qualities and seeks:

To protect the stone monuments from any vandalism – either intentional or un-intentional.
To persuade government and local authorities to take better care of our unique outdoor treasures.
To encourage more excavations and investigation by archaeologists, and third level institutions – National and International.
To have each monument professionally photographed and correctly mapped.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE – THE SKELLIG ISLANDS

Beehive huts on UNESCO's Skellig Islands - photo wiki commons

“An incredible, impossible, mad place…I tell you the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world” … George Bernard Shaw

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Skellig Islands are without equal. Only visiting them can convey the whole majesty of the place. The little beehive huts have survived many thousands of storms, a real testament to the skill and tenacity of the monks who built them. Surviving the excesses of nature and seeking out food on the barren rock must have been time consuming, stretching the limits of human endurance to its limits. The solitary lives of the monks are of an age long past, who can ever know if they ever found the peace they were looking for. Though we can never know their intent for staying in such a remote ‘God Forsaken’ place, we owe the hermits of the islands no less than that we protect and cherish their efforts. To be the only Dark-Sky Reserve in the world with such a charge is a great honor and a privilege.

GUIDED HERITAGE WALKS AND TALKS

Outdoor heritage talk at Bolus Head – credit Julie Ormonde

Guided Heritage walks and talks are advised, it saves a lot of time in looking for the place you are interested in, plus, having an expert telling you about the history of the region beats reading it from a book. You can contact here to enquire or book a guide .

OGHAM STONE

Oghan stone kerry dark sky reserve Ogham is the earliest form of writing in Ireland, it dates to around 4th century A.D. and was in use for around 500 years. The Ogham alphabet is made up of a series of strokes along or across a line. Ogham is sometimes referred to as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet" as a number of the letters are linked to old Irish names for certain trees. The alphabet was carved on standing stones to commemorate someone, using the edge of the stone as the center line. They normally read from the left hand side bottom up, across the top and if need be down the other side.

STONE ROWS

Eightercua - Photo by Daisuke, Japan

Stone Rows as depicted above are to be found in every region of the Reserve. A stone row (or stone alignment), is a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones set at intervals along a common axis or series of axes, usually dating from the later Neolithic or Bronze Age. Rows may be individual or grouped, and three or more stones aligned can constitute a stone row. The exact purpose for these monuments have been lost through the ages. Whether they were used for astronomical alignments or as markers to forgotten rulers or Gods is still hotly debated.

ROCK ART

kerry dark-sky reserve rock art piece

In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural stone. It is a global phenomenon found in many different regions of the world, and produced in many different contexts throughout human history. There are many theories as to the meaning of the symbols etched into the rock. Some say that the series of cup-marks show maps of ancient settlements, records of burials and maps of the night sky. A popular theory is that the cup-mark surrounded by rings represent the Sun. Whatever the meaning of the carvings one this is certain - they were of huge significance to the people of those times.

Kerry Reserve Space location map

Kells is the main entry point into the Reserve if coming via the Killarney/Tralee N70 road route, showing stunning panoramic views across the Dingle Bay by day and at night a huge expansive view of the starry sky.
Stunning by day – Sensational by night: is, without doubt, appropriate to this region.
The Kells area has a dark-sky quality comparable to the Core Zone with readings of up to 21.7 on the SQML reader where the darkest reading is 22.
Distance from Killarney to the Kells entrance is 50 km. Reserve are: Kells, Caherciveen, Valentia Island, Portmagee, The Glen, Ballinskelligs, Waterville, Dromid & Caherdaniel.

Search Site

email image

registered logo

RING FORTS

kerry dark-sky reserve ancient stone fort Ring Forts represent the best examples of monumental stone architecture which survives in Ireland. Debate is on-going as to exactly how old these forts are, and the nature of their use is as varied as the rocks that built them. But they are all excellent examples of dry-stone masonry showing remarkable sophistication in design and workmanship.

Staigue Fort in Caherdaniel is regarded as one of the best examples, though Cahergal, in Caherciveen is equally impressive. In the case of Staigue there is evidence that copper was excavated in the surrounding area and it appears to be a place of worship, an observatory and a place of defense. It is estimated to be at least 2,500 years old.

WEDGE TOMB

Wedge tomb Caherdaniel - Julie Ormonde

A wedge tomb is a type of Irish chamber tomb. They are so named because the burial chamber itself narrows at one end (usually decreasing both in height and width from west to east), producing a wedge shape in elevation. An antechamber is separated from the burial area by a simple jamb or sill, and the doorway generally faces west. Wedge tombs were built between the Irish late Neolithic and middle Bronze Ages (about 2500 to 2000 BCE).

HERITAGE GUIDE

kerry dark sky reserve heritage guide

If you would like to hire a guide to show you around the various heritage sites and relate the history, or perhaps you would like to visit other sites of the same themes not mentioned on this page to enquire or book a tour contact us by clicking here