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'My
Place Amongst The Stones'
Dr.
Hugh Crean's Address on the Day Clonfert Celebrated
The
Historic Listing in World Monument Watch 2000
The following address was given by Dr. Hugh R. Crean on Tuesday 14th. September 1999 in Saint Brendan's Cathedral, Clonfert. There are four pages telling the story of this lovely little cathedral in Clonfert, County Galway.Page one describes this lovely tiny Cathedral in Clonfert, County Galway.
Page two brings you on a trip around the grounds to the Bishop's Palace and the 1000 year old Yew Walk.
Page three gives a brief history of tSaint Brendan the Navigator, founder of this ancient monastic settlement in the 6th. century.
Page four describes the celebrations held in the Cathedral to mark this most historic of occassions - the cathedral's listing with World Monuments Watch 2000. All the links are below.
Dr. Crean spoke to a congregation in the tiny 12th century Cathedral, present to celebrate being included on the World Monuments Watch Millennium List of the World's 100 Most Endangered Sites.. Dr. Crean is Chairman of the Restoration Department at FIT (SUNY) in New York City, and lecturer at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.
"Today is a great day for Clonfert and for Ireland. This beautiflil, fragile twelfth century doorway, one of the most important monuments of Irish Romanesque art to survive has now come to the attention of the world.
The 12th. Century Hiberno-Romanesque
Doorway of St. Brendan's CathedralToday, the Cathedral of St. Brendan at Clonfert joins such renowed sites as Pompeii in Italy and the Pyramids in Bgypt on a list of world heritage monuments in danger. But unlike Pompeii and the Pyramids, it is not a ruin but a living monument that still shelters its community.
The world applauds its resusitation and recovery from the brink of extinction. Today represents a major step in that direction. This sacred doorway, which has long been treasured by the Clonfert community, is now recognized as a monument of global importance, its restoration of primary urgency.St Brendan must be very pleased. St. Brendan came here about 560 A.D. From here he set out on the legendary voyages across the Atlantic. Hence the name St. Brendan, the Navigator. To Clonfert he returned, and is laid to rest here. This doorway was built to celebrate his 600 year anniversary.
The doorway faces West toward America and we who live across the ocean take comfort in its welcoming embrace.
Restoration is a healing and spiritual art. It takes objects that are wounded and damaged and gives them new life. This doorway of the Cathedral of Brendan at Clonfert predates all of Ireland's contemporary struggles and pain. It has deep roots and links to a longer Celtic tradition,
In its eight hundred year life, it has seen everything: invasion, devastation, war, famine and anguish. But it has survived; an object of great power and passionate beauty.
Today it is the doorway through which our commitment to making a better world heals our wounds and bolsters our spirits. For in restoring our doorway we renew ourselves."
HRC gms
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the Journey
For those who have just joined me on this page why not go to the beginning of our travels and see some of the places in The Start of Our Journey through the West of Ireland.
My Place Amongst the Stones gives the history of my company name, Moytura - a celtic heritage going back thousands of years.
We journey to my own parish of Lackagh - a small village just 12 miles from Galway with a mighty big history. Learn all about the Battle of Knockdoe - one of Ireland's bloodiest of conflicts in the 16th century.
We then move on to take a quick jaunt around Galway City; and then to the heart of Connemara - with its wild and wonderful beauty.
From there we journey south into County Clare and see The Burren - a place that has lain undisturbed since the Ice-age and of immense botanical, ecological and archaeological importance.
Visit Ireland's finest early monastic heritage centre in Clonmacnoise, County Offaly; and to my favourite of all the early Christian Church locations - Clonfert, South County Galway, with its beautiful tiny 12th century Cathedral of Saint Brendan. Come with me around the grounds and see the Bishop's Palace and the 1000 year old Yew Walk.
While on the Clonfert pages, you can learn a potted history of Saint Brendan the Navigator, possibly the first European to set foot in North America in the 6th. century. And join me in the celebrations when this tiny cathedral was listed in the World Monuments Watch 2000 most endangered monuments.
Come with me on my 'Famine Journey' which starts in Westport, and moves to Sligo, my Dad's County and the departure port for many of the 'Coffin Ships'. This part of my journey ends in Grosse-Île on a tiny island east of Quebec City.
On this page you will learn some of the history of our Famine Refugees and find the final resting place of over 6,000 of my country folk who died within sight of their first freedom in over 300 years. This is where many of the Irish roots in North America started.
Our Journey moves on to other places on that visit to Canada where we see Quebec City and some of Ontario's lovely places and then to two of Canada's famous Catholic Shrines - Saint Anne de Beaupré and to Cap-de-la-Madeleine.
Finally, join me on my pilgrimage to a peaceful haven in a war-torn country in Medugorje in Bosnia-Hercegovinia. The other areas of my Web site can be found in the drop-down box below.
If you are interested in Irish history or anything to do with Ireland why not visit our new additions where you will find a large selection of genuine Irish goods as well as Irish reading, music & viewing material!:
Moytura's Irish Store, Moytura's Irish Bookshop, Moytura's Irish Music Store, and Moytura's Irish Video Store
I have added links pages of other places related to the places we visit, links to leisure activities in Ireland i.e. golf, fishing, horse riding, sailing in Ireland, festivals, entertainment etc. and some of my friends' home pages.
Go raith míle maith agat - thanks a million
Beannacht Dé Ort - bain taitneamh as do thuras.
God Bless and Enjoy Your 'Journey'Oh, I nearly forgot......come and meet me and mine HERE
See some of the awards received for this site HERE.For those of you who are interested in tracing you family ancestry these pages might help, just hit the banners to go directly to each site or check out our Trace Your Ancestry pages first where you can see some of the vast numbers of data base lists and try out an on-line search for yourself.
Every now and then people send me stories, poems, or URLs to other Home Pages that I find very touching or uplifting, they can be found at the links below. Some will make you smile, maybe even laugh, some may make you cry or a little sad - but all will leave a little bit of a mark, if only for the few minutes you spend reading or listening to them. Enjoy - I call this section:
Celtic Women International
Celtic Women International is a young and vibrant organisation founded by Jean Bills, a woman with Irish roots living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is now in growth phase and expanding membership throughout the whole world for ANYONE (yes, even the guys!) with Celtic roots. It's purpose is to honour, celebrate and promote our Celtic Heritage. In the near future we hope to be a resource for all things Celtic with databases of other Celtic Organisations, Support Bodies, Music & the Arts etc. Membership, for only $25!!, incorporates a quarterly newsletter with the finest of articles related all things Celtic.
Our annual conference brings together some of the best advocates of Celtic Traditions as well as musicians and artists representing the recognised Celtic Nations of Ireland, Cornwall, Scotland, Wales, The Isle of Man, Brittany and Galicia and Asturia in Spain. 2002 sees the conference on the move and will be held in New Orleans, 2003 in Toronto, 2004 in Pheonix and 2005 in GALWAY, IRELAND! Please help us to grow this wonderful organisation by joining us as a member. All are very welcome and your presence can only enrich us. Learn all about us at:
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Moytura's web site currently has 12 definite and individual sections which can be found below:.
Moytura now has a brand new Irish shopping site online, so why not go and have a mooch by hitting the logo!
Here you will find a vast selection of Irish products in the following categories: Ancestry, Art, Books, Collectors items, Crafts, Crystal, Dancing, Fashion, Foodhall, Fragrances, Gifts, Heraldry, Houseware, Jewellery, Maps, Music, Names, Sportswear, Travel and Videos. All our goods are from genuine Irish suppliers.
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They are given to NO OTHER third party.
HOME-BASED
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Moytura Graphic Design has expanded enormously since it's humble beginnings just a few years ago and has taken a new business venture which can be operated from home on a full or part-time basis. You can learn about this work-from-home opportunity here.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY
The telecommunications industry goes from strength to strength world wide, especially with de-regulation opening up most countries to healthy and cost-cutting competition. The company, for which we are Independent Consultants, has been so successful since its European start-up in 1998 that it has now expanded from the UK to Ireland Belgium, and the Netherlands, with the USA opening in Feb 2002. It plans to expand even further in the very near future - to:
Contact Mary Mullins, Moytura Graphic Design, Cregmore, Claregalway, Co. Galway, Ireland. Ph: +353 91 798407
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