Kilmallock Collegiate Church, County Limerick

August 27, 2021

“Walls stained with rusted light
We move within their shadow
Seek the god that holds the night
Pray to reach its end”

— Claire Loader

The church ruin in Ireland is often a small affair, relegated in thought to a quiet grove, silent headstones, four lonely walls peeking out from among the grass. Thirteenth century Collegiate Church of Kilmallock is, in comparison, a revelation, the whole town of Kilmallock indeed awash with medieval surprises, testament to its place as a stronghold of the Earls of Desmond, the family line of the White Knights. One can almost still smell the smoke emanating from braziers, hear the low hum of midnight prayers as feet take you into its great expanse - tall arches and ornate tombs, whispers in the aisles. And perhaps the most stunning of all, the five-pointed tips of the magnificent lancet window, once afire with colour, standing now over the empty nave, a towering sentinel of the past.

You can find the location of this wonderful friary and the many other places I’ve visited here. Come explore with me amidst the ruins of the past, we may just find a gem…

Buy this gorgeous Kilmallock print in my Etsy shop here.

Drumacoo Church, County Galway

April 28, 2021

“There is a lesson
in the shades of blushing heather,
these silken evening hues -
even in the dying light
we bloom.”

— Claire Loader

The light falls softer at Drumacoo, dusts upon the evening fields, falls like shards upon the stones – each visit the magnificently carved 13th century doorway illuminated in delicate gossamer, its ornate capitals stretching like flowers to meet the sky. Weaving through the sun dappled gravestones, the door rises like a portal to another world, its dancing monsters and feline heads beckoning the visitor to enter. One of the later masterpieces from ‘The School of the West’, its Gothic tip guides you inside the humble church, empty now but for the resting flagstones, its lonely aumbrys long missing their sacred vessels. Towards the north of the church tucked into the sleepy heather, Sourney’s well hides away from the light, her pool dipped a thousand times in the hope of curing sight, that the traveller might not just feel the beauty of this place, but marvel too at its humble grandeur.

You can find the location of this gorgeous church and the many other places I’ve visited here. Come explore with me amidst the ruins of the past, we may just find a gem.

Shop ‘sourney’s arch’ and other handmade photo blocks at my Etsy STORE here.

Lough Hacket Crannóg, County Galway

October 3, 2020

“I sought you
In the arching reeds
The mists upon the water
And I found you
On these rocky shores
The island
Of your soul”

— Claire Loader

There is a peace to be found upon the stillness of Lough Hacket that is rivaled by none - the soft bobbing, the slick fingers of the water tracing the lines of our kayak as we sought out its waiting island. The lake is tiny compared to its mighty Corrib neighbour, but it holds its own charm - baaing sheep rustling at the shore as we set off from its shallows, grand Lisdonagh House watching on as we cut a sleek line towards its crannóg. Built in the Early Medieval period for protection, the man-made island has long seen its inhabitants departed, the remains of two much later summer houses the only imprint upon its wooded banks. Tradition holds that the crannóg could be reached by a submerged stone pathway, zigzagged below the surface of the water to deceive unwanted guests. Today the clear water only offers up the glimpse of small pebbles, the secrets of her shores left to the imagination, her ghosts to the trees.

You can find the location of this island and the many other places I’ve visited here. Come explore with me amidst the ruins of the past, we may just find a gem.

shop this and other handmade photo gifts at my etsy shop here.