Who What How When Where Why Pots & Basins Quartz Art

Who Were The Builders? Ireland's ancient manuscripts record several invasions of the island. The Parthalonians, The Nemedians, The Firbolg, The Túatha Dé Danann and lastly the Celts or Milesians are the Tribes said to have settled here. Ireland was considered a magical ancestral homeland by the tribes who came and settled here. The best known group were the Túatha Dé Danann, The Tribe of the Goddess Danu. They are said to have arrived from the North and West in flying ships, bearing four great treasures - The Sword of Núada; The Dagda's Cauldron; The Stone of Destiny; and The Spear of Lugh. They landed at Lough Corrib in Co. Galway and on the mountain of Sliabh an Iarann in Co. Leitrim. The First Battle of Maigh Tuireadh, which took place on the plain of Cong by the north shores of Lough Corrib, was fought between the Firbolg and the Túatha Dé Danann. Two large monuments, Ballymacgibbon Cairn and Eochy's Cairn, remain here and several others are said to have been destroyed. Connaught's four stone circles are to be found here, as well as several cashels, ringforts, caves, standing stones, and a strange modern stepped pyramid and inscribed stone known as The Gods of Neale. The Second Battle of Moytura took place on the hill above the eastern shore of Lough Arrow, near the Bricklieve Mountains. The Second Battle was fought between the Túatha Dé Danann and the Formorans, and was a complex affair which deserves a lengthy page of its own. Lugh of the Long Arm led the Túatha Dé Dannan to victory over their opponents and oppressors, and killed his grandfather Balor of the Evil Eye who was in charge of the Formorian army. The place where he put out Balor's Eye is today marked by the eerie lake of Lough na Suil, The Lake of the Eye (see top picture). Balor's destructive Eye burned a great hole in the ground and disappeared, and a lake was formed on the spot. In a regular cycle, the length of which I am not sure, the water vanishes for a few days leaving a crater with a large, deep hole at the bottom. Stone basin from Knowth. The Dagda's Cauldron? One of the four treasures brought to Ireland by the Túatha Dé Danann. Picture by Conall, 1997. Notable members of the Túatha Dé Danann are: The Dagda, described as a Father God and possessor of the magic cauldron; Boann, the River Boyne; Nuada the High King of the tribe who had the Sword of Light; The Morrigan, referred to as a war goddess and one of the Badb, a trinity of bloodthirsty sisters with Macha and Nemain; Manannan Mac Lir, god of the sea whom the Isle of Man is named for; Lugh of the Long Arm, the Celtic sun god; Dain Ceacht the healer who made the Well of Slane; Corran the Harper; Aongus Og, the Celtic god of Love; and many others. In general they are associated with many ancient sites, and the Dagda in particular was known as a builder of monuments. He resided at Newgrange for a long time until his son Aongus won the mound from him.