Moytura's Irish
Bookshop

We now have a chat club which I hope you will join and use. It offers the chance to share and answer questions about all things Irish. Perhaps some of you will have common roots, family connections -

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 see the some of the extensive lists available and do a search from their own database search engine.

If you have enjoyed your wander through the site I'd love to hear your comments, good, bad or indifferent, perhaps you'd sign my GUEST BOOK.
Or EMAIL me with any suggestions you might have.

The Burren in its sparce  and lonely beauty.

Close-up of the structure  of the Burren

This area has some of the finest archaeological megalithic tombs in Ireland, if not in Western Europe. There are relics of human habitation dating back almost 6000 years and the most famous is the vortal tomb, or portal dolman, at Poulnabrone. In this area alone there are more than 60 wedge tombs and the densest concentration in Ireland. There are also numerous examples of raths (earthen ring forts) and stone cashels. This area is also rich in historical ecclesiastical sites.
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Dolman at Poulnabrone

The Aillwee Caves

Nestling unobtrusively within the Burren, and just 4 miles from Ballyvaughan, are the Aillwee Caves. These were discovered in the 1940's by  a local farmer while out flocking sheep. His dog had disappeared and was then found inside the cave entrance which must have been covered for millennia. Remains of brown bears and indentations of the bear pits were discovered not far from the entrance. Bears have been extinct in Ireland for thousands of years so this find caused some excitement. 

The caves were eventually taken over by a business consortium and excavated extensively to allow safe passageway through them. They now extend into the mountain for over one third of a mile and the journey shows some magnificent stalagmite and stalagtite formations, one of which is an impression of 'the praying hands'. Waterfalls appear along the route and the temperature remains a constant 40F. all year round.

Aillwee Mountain

Cave Entrance

A visit to this place opens an Aladdin's cave of wonders and well worth including in any trip to County Clare. The whole project has been completed very tastefully and the entrance and carpark are only visible up close, leaving the distant vista of the mountain unspoiled. This is an area of County Clare which attracts huge numbers of visitors.

Kinvarra
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Dunguaire Castle
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And so, this part of our journey concludes.

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 Irelan'd bloodiest of conflicts in the 16th century.

We then move on to take a quick jaunt around Galway City;  and to the heart of Connemara - with its wild and wonderful beauty. 

Visit Ireland's finest early monastic heritage centre in Clonmacnoise; and to my favourite of all the early Christian Church locations - Clonfert, 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.

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. 

Don't forget to bookmark this page and return to take up on more of your journeys with me. Oh .. and please sign my Guestbook if you have enjoyed your travels. Go raith míle maith agat - thanks a million

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: