THE MIDKNIGHT GARDEN: KNIGHTS OF THE RED ORDER

Travelling westwards to the wild beauty of the Atlantic ocean.

Day Seven: Mon 5th July: St James Church. Charlestown. County Mayo: Sadly we could not visit even though the church was open, not even the graveyard. Out of respect and caring we stayed our distance as a funeral was taking place. I managed to take one photo without being distracting to the mourners. The church was built in 1855, so not that old and apparently has some beautiful stained glass windows inside….

https://www.mayo-ireland.ie/en/towns-villages/charlestown/history/st-james-church.html

County Mayo  (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning “Plain of the yew trees”) is a county in the west of Ireland in the province of Connacht , it is named after the village of Mayo now generally known as Mayo Abbey. The population was 130,507 at the 2016 census. County Mayo is very historically interesting and has fascinating tales to tell – much of which we experienced on this epic quest – see link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Mayo

It is bound on the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by County Galway. The east by County Roscommon and the northeast by County Sligo. It is one of three counties which claims to have the longest coastline in Ireland. There is a distinct geological difference between the west and the east of the county and interestingly Ireland’s largest island, Achill Island, lies off Mayo’s west coast. (much more to come on Achill Ireland)

The beautiful and wild Atlantic Ocean, over on the west coast

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• John Fordham (1823-1895) Colloney, Sligo. He had a perticular interest (4 x GGF)

St Pauls Church:  Colooney. County Sligo: It had turned out to be a bit of a damp old day by the time we arrived here, but never undetered by weather or the fact that the church was closed, we were in for a few surprises. Wet weather always provides more interesting photos though.

St Pauls church gleaming in the rain…. <click to enlarge>

Collooney (Coloony): (Irish Cúil Mhuine, meaning ‘nook of the thicket’) is a town in  County Sligo, Ireland, but also suggested by a Reverend Terrence O’Rorke that Culmaine, as Collooney is designated this way, in such works as the Four Masters, Dudley M’Firlis and O’Flaherty’s “Chrorographical description of West Connaught” and he further suggests “Angle of the Whirlpool” from the confluence of the Uncion and Owenmore as the most likely origin of the name. The settlement was also at times previously termed Cashel, KillinBridge or even Cowlowney.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collooney

Sadly i dont have a great deal of info on the church; it was built in 1837, so not that old really, the architect being Sir John Benson, but as we could not get inside i cant really comment further, but a stroll around the graveyard proved to be very interesting, especially to Karl, whom managed to discover solid proof of his relative buried there. This type of revelation always makes our quests very tangible and provides reiteration and proof as to why we are doing them…

St Pauls Church graveyard. On a rainly day Karl reafirms his ancestor line… <click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connection:

• Albert John Fordham. (07/10/1928-20/08/1987) Collooney, Sligo Ireland & Tottenham, London. England. (GF)
• William Henry Fordham. (1888-03/1961) Collooney, Sligo Ireland & Hackney, London. England. (GGF)
• John Fordham. (1858-03/1961) Collooney, Sligo Ireland (2 x GGF)
• John Fordham. (1823-1895) Collooney, Sligo Ireland & Ballysadare, Sligo, Ireland (3xGGF)

Church of the Assumption: Rinn Lough, County Sligo. Sadly no historical information to share here, but i do have lots of good photos and video from inside with lots of information there. The church was situated in a very quiet rural area, almost in the middle of nowhere – so we were very surprised to find it was open. It was stunning inside, almost like a tardis, for we were not in the least bit expecting what we saw there, and it was very lovingly looked after too, both inside and out. The white exterior was sparkling in the sunlight!

The outside of the lovingly looked after Church of the Assumption <click to enlarge>

Very meaninglful symbols on the windows here and elswhere (explained in the video – i shall transcibe the video here shortly) <click on an image to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connection:

• Albert John Fordham. (07/10/1928-20/08/1987) Collooney, Sligo Ireland & Tottenham, London. England. (GF)
• William Henry Fordham. (1888-03/1961) Collooney, Sligo Ireland & Hackney, London. England. (GGF)
• John Fordham. (1858-03/1961) Collooney, Sligo Ireland (2 x GGF)
• John Fordham. (1823-1895) Collooney, Sligo Ireland & Ballysadare, Sligo, Ireland (3xGGF)

And so at the end of the day a trip westwards to the shores of the Atlantic Coast, for food, retail therapy and simply to soak in the views…

Day Eight: Tues 6th July: Bru na Boinne: Glebe. County Meath: It was very damp underfoot, but not raining and i was very much looking forward to this day; a day in the country surrounded by the magnificant burial mounds, seeped in the history of Ireland, yet also and most importantly the history and heritage of Craft and of our quests. Brú na Bóinne; ‘Palace of the Boyne’ or more properly ‘Valley of the Boyne’) or Boyne valley tombs, is an area in County Meath, Ireland located in a bend of the River Boyne. It contains one of the world’s most important prehistoric landscapes dating from the Neolithic period, including the large Megalithic passage graves of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth as well as some 90 additional monuments. The archaeological culture associated with these sites is called the “Boyne culture”. Since 1993, the site has been a World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO, known since 2013 as “Brú na Bóinne – Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne”. Although one cannot just ‘turn up’ to view the burial mounds here, one needs to go via the official visitor centre, buy a ticket and then pop onto the centre’s bumpy little bus, which takes one around the sites, being designated time slots to view, one will not be at all dissapointed. It is an amazing landscape and we had plenty of time to wander around and view all the mounds. It is a lot of walking but it is so fascinating, one just wants to soak it all up. It was a quiet time of year we were there, and i expect it is very crowded in the summer months.

The many magnicant mounds at Bru na Boinne; it is said that maybe a special ancient object is buried here – and of course we will never know…. <click to view>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BA_na_B%C3%B3inne

The area has been a centre of human settlement for at least 6,000 years, but the major structures date to around 5,000 years ago, from the Neolithic period. The site is a complex of Neolithic mounds, chamber tombs, standing stones, henges and other prehistoric enclosures, some from as early as 35th century BC – 32nd century BC. The site thus predates the Egyptian pyramids and was built with sophistication and a knowledge of science and astronomy, which is most evident in the passage grave of Newgrange. Read much more here:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BA_na_B%C3%B3inne

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• King Dian (1382 BC) Tara, Ireland (81 x GGF)

Newgrange Burial Mound: With joy I walked around this giant burial tomb at Newgrange, County Meath, Ireland, It was a damp and wet day and wonderful to be there. Everything felt nearer and nearer, deeper and deeper. everything has a time and a purpose… This is the mound that everyone is familiar with, and we arrived via the bumpy little bus, a short drive to this well know site.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange

Newgrange is a prehistoric monument in County Meath, Ireland, 5 miles west of Drogheda on the north side of the River Boyne. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic period, around 3200 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. The site consists of a large circular mound with an inner stone passageway and chambers. Human bones and possible grave goods or votive offerings were found in these chambers. The mound has a retaining wall at the front, made mostly of white quartz cobblestones, and it is ringed by engraved kerbstones. Many of the larger stones of Newgrange are covered in megalithic art. The mound is also ringed by a stone circle. Some of the material that makes up the monument came from as far away as the Mournes and Wicklow mountains. The site is thought to have had religious significance. Its entrance is aligned with the rising sun on the winter solstice, when sunlight shines through a ‘roofbox’ located above the passage entrance and floods the inner chamber. Several other passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with solstices and equinoxes.  It is the most famous monument within the Neolithic Brú na Bóinne complex. There are many smaller archaeological sites such as henges, mounds and standing stones situated between Newgrange and the Boyne.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• King Dian (1382 BC) Tara, Ireland (81 x GGF)

Hill of Tara: County Meath. We had been here before, so please read my previous write up, this time though the site was well and truly shut down; the energies had shifted and that which was, was now no more and that which was hidden shall always remain so. Everything has it’s place within time, and it’s time within the metaphysical mysteries. That which was given can be taken; that which was created will no longer come to exist…

“The Keeper of Scrolls” 31st October 2021

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>