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'My
Place Amongst The Stones'
The Start of Our Journeys With Moytura
'My
Place Amongst The Stones'
Come on in and rest a while - you're heartily welcome. Before we start our journey through some of my favourite places in the West of Ireland let me first explain the meaning of Moytura, my company name.
Moytura Plains was the site of the first recorded battle in Ancient Celtic Mythology almost 5,000 years ago. The battle at Moytura involved the Fir Bolg, one of the original ancient clans of Ireland, and the Tuatha De Danaan, one of the many invaders. The Fir Bolg fought a brave fight in their efforts to repel the Tuatha from invading Eireann, all to no avail. The origins of both peoples go back to the time of The Great Flood when Noah's grandchildren settled in parts of Europe (details of this period in history are available in the link pages to the places visited. All links are below)There are two Moytura's, the one I speak of here in Cong and one near Castlebalwin in Sligo. It is debatable whether in fact the famous battle of Moytura took place up there instead of here in Cong. A very famous resident of the area was William Wilde, antiquarian and father of Oscar Wilde. He lived for much of the year in a holiday home in in this place and his home was called Moytura House. William Wilde wrote extensively about Moytura, on Celtic history and the history of this part of the county. His writings can be viewed in the library in Castlebar. But we like to reckon the first round of the battle took place here, then the boys all went home for a cup of tea before heading up to Sligo for round two!
Our history is from the mists of time and Camden, an historian and antiquarian, said of Ireland:
"From the deepest sources of antiquity, the history of the Irish is taken; so that in comparison to them, that
of other nations is but novelty and a beginning."Moytura is near the village of Cong on the Galway/Mayo border and about 25 miles from my home. Cong was also the scene of another famous battle - that of Sean Thornton (John Wayne) and "Red" Will Donaher (Victor McLagan) in the movie 'The Quiet Man'.
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Ashford Castle on the outskirts of Cong has over 350 acres of lovely woodland and sits on Lough Corrib, the second largest lake in Ireland. Its surrounds are glorious and its golf course is magnificent. As one of our premier hotels, it has hosted many famous visitors, including presidents of the United States.There are archeological treasures all around this area and ancient burial grounds, known as cairns, are to be found as mounds in many fields in Ireland. Here we find the spot reputed to be of the most famous battle in Celtic Irish history and careful examination of the photograph above shows the circular formation of the stones, also thought to be linked with the pagan Druidic religious celebrations.
Our history is surely in our stones.
But now you and I will go on a more peaceful and imaginary journey through some of my favourite spots (did I say peaceful?...... well........... just the odd battle thrown in to spice our travels a bit!).
My village is called Creig Mor meaning 'large rock'. My parish is Lackagh, with its own interesting history, and my county is Galway, situated on the wild Atlantic and the western periphery of Europe. Galway city is an exciting and vibrant place and its hinterland to the northwest is Connemara.
Connemara, with its wild and wonderful beauty, rests within the shadow of mountains and forests. It is dotted with lakes, threaded with rivers and clothed in stones. It is a mythical, mystical place, a place of suaimhneas.....peace and tranquillity.....with a serenity in its wildness which seeps into the very soul.
I am not from this place but I am of this place. My roots are further north in Counties Sligo and Monaghan but here is where I live, love, work and enjoy life. Most Celts have a longing to 'return' to their homeland and Yeats put it nicely in his poem "The Isle of Inisfree" when he wrote:
".....I will arise and go now for always , night and day,
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;while I stand at the roadway or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core....."Journey with me now through its beauty and splendour and feel the magic that is the West of Ireland.....My Place Amongst The Stones.
If you have enjoyed this page please drop a comment into our Guestbook- and Don't Forget.......!
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.
We journey first 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 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 to 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 1000 year old Yew Walk and the Bishop's Palace.
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.
Join 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 from 1845 - 1849 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:
"PRAYERFUL THOUGHTS & THOUGHTFUL PRAYERS"
CIRCLE THE WORLD WITH PRAYER
Could you DONATE just 10 minutes of your time a day?? If Yes then- GIVE IT TO GOD! Great rewards and long-term benefits! Invitation open to ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANY RELIGION & NONE!!
Check out the WHY, WHERE, WHEN & HOW here: Circle of Prayer Then ask yourself the question - WHY NOT?!?!
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:.Choose a Location
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WEB DESIGN & HOSTING
by MoyturaMoytura Graphic Design offers the complete Internet solution for your company or business. We design, host and market your site, regardless of how small or large it needs to be.
You can learn more about our service by following the link to:
IT'S JUST THE IRISH IN YOU! If you are Irish or have an affinity with Ireland, Moytura also has an Irish Book Shop, Irish Video Store and Irish Music Store, stocked with all things Irish or Irish-related. Just hit the buttons below:
Books
Music
VideosINTERNET MARKETING
by MoyturaHere are hints and tips about all aspects of marketing your business on the Internet.
Get your FREE Search Engines Tactics e-book when you subscribe to our monthly newsletter:
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Get a Free Family Coat of Arms Ancestry.com has the greatest databases in the world for those in North America who are trying to trace their ancestry. Hit the banner to the right to see the some of the extensive lists available and while there why not do a search from their own database search engine?Just hit the banner to the left.
Are You Drawing Up Your Family Tree?
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.Email addresses are used for one purpose only - to send on your newsletter.
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:
If you, or anyone you know, living in any of these countries would like to start a home-based business, the opportunities are enormous as this company is only just beginning and, as Independent Consultants, everyone will be in at the very ground level. E-MAIL for details or check out the WEBPAGE.
Contact Mary Mullins, Moytura Graphic Design, Cregmore, Claregalway, Co. Galway, Ireland. Ph: +353 91 798407
© 2000 Moytura Graphic Design
