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QUEST 32: ATLANTIC ATLANTIS: DAY ELEVEN & TWELVE

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November 25, 2021

A drive across beautiful countryside and pretty villages bought us to the vibrant and bustling town of Tipperary

Friday 9th June. Day Eleven: St Mary’s Church. Tipperary: Tipperary was very vibrant and colourful; a busy bustling town with lots going on, lots to see and full of people. Before going to the church we had a walk along the high street, found a clasic no frills pub and had a lovely pub lunch. I always find it so refreshing in Ireland to discover and explore all the little independant shops, often full of local produce and craftmanship. I am sure there must be big retail areas somewhere, but the places we went to or drove through had all kept their own indentity and no sign at all, of the big boring retail shops that we have in England which make each town and city centre exactly the same – so bravo Ireland!

Tipperary Town (Irish: Tiobraid Árann, meaning ‘well of the Ara’- a reference to the river Ara that flows through the town) is a town and civil parish in County Tipperary with a population of 4,979 at the 2016 census. The town gave its name to the County Tipperary. The town had a medieval foundation and became a population centre in the early 13th century. It’s ancient fortifications have disappeared, often dismantled to be reused in new buildings. It’s central area is characterized by a wide streets radiating from the principal thoroughfare of Main Street. Two historical monuments are located in the Main Street. One is a bronze statue of Charles Kickham (poet and patriot). The other is the Maid of Erin statue, erected to commemorate the Irish patriots, Allen, Larkin and O’Brien, who are collectively known as the Manchester Martyrs. The Maid of Erin is a freestanding monument; erected in 1907, it was relocated to a corner site on the main street in 2003. It is made of carved limestone. A woman stands on a base depicting the portraits of the three executed men. The portraits carry the names in Irish of each man. She is situated on stone-flagged pavement behind wrought-iron railings, with an information board. The choice of a female figure as the personification of Ireland for such a memorial was common at the time. It is a naturalistic and evocative piece of work, made all the more striking by the lifelike portraits of the executed men. (see photos above)

The town was the site of a large military barracks of the British Army in the 50 years before Irish Independence and served as a military hospital during World War I. During the War of Independence, these barracks were a base for the Black and Tans and on 30 September 2005, the newly refurbished Memorial Arch of the barracks was unveiled in a ceremony in the pressence of dignitaries. However, given the notoriety of the place in the folk memory, few townspeople attended. The Arch is the only remaining porch of what was the officers’ mess and has panels mounted bearing the names of fallen members of the Irish Defence Forces. The Arch was renovated and maintained by the Tipperary Remembrance Trust. We were later given a private tour of this area along with other important sites. (see photos to follow)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipperary_(town)

St Mary’s Church: We did think that yet again, we would be unable to gain access to this church even though the doors were open allowing us to wandered inside, only to be met by the raised tones of the rector informing us that no, were were not allowed in, as he was having some sort of meeting in the church. So thus we had resigned ourselves to a stroll around the graveyard, where i did take some lovely shots of the old iron works depicting fleur-de-lys. It is the oldest graveyard in town with over 1000 recorded burials and the oldest landmark. The grave of Christopher Emmet grandfather of the Irish patriot Robert Emmet is located in the grounds as is the grave of Ellen O’Leary Poet, and sister of the Fenian John O’Leary is also located in the grounds. There has been a military connection with St Mary’s as far back as the 1780’s when it was a garrison church. There are nine Commonwealth war graves and 11 other military related graves dating 1880 – 1920. All very interesting but not really what we were there for, however a chance encounter at the church gates with the new rector, with a different mindset, assured us that yes, we could go in and that he would give us a personal tour of the church and of many interesting areas nearby. Sadly not a lot of info on the internet on the church, so i will let the photos speak for themselves….

http://homepage.eircom.net/~tipperaryfame/stmarys.htm

Although we were lucky and very kindly were shown some of the older and more interesting treasures within the church, they were not actually Craft related, but obvioulsy all well loved <click to view>

As mentioned above, we were very lucky to have been taken on a surprise private tour of relevant and historical sites around Tipperray, ending with a lovely visit to a very old ancient church site, complete with sacred well. But also on this occasion we were visited by one of the ‘watchers’, keeping tracks on us no doubt, for we are never alone, especially as Craft people and obviously our tracks and purpose on this earthly plain is always very closely monitored.

A military arch, old workhouse and barracks, bear tesitiment to different times. The Hills of Tipperary, keep a timeless watch holding onto their secrets and asignations from other times. An imposing modern statue, seems to hold silent court over the etherial essence of the glen. An ancient site and holy well, will keep the secrets of the day…. <click to view>

Grail Bloodline Connectios:

John Fordham. 1858 – 1932 Collooney, Sligo. He had a particular interest here. (3 x GGF)

St Mary’s Church. Blessington: So after a little drive, again through pretty towns and villages, past mountains and countryside we arrived at Blessington, which on this occasion would prove to be a very short visit. Sadly the church was shut with all gates locked and chained, so we could not even stroll around the graveyard. So i did the best i could in respect of photos…

Blessington: historically known as Ballycomeen (Irish: Baile Coimín, meaning ‘town of Comyn’, from the Irish surname Ó Coimín), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, near the border with County Kildare. Evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area is demonstrated by the spectacular Blessington gold lunula now in the British Museum. Blessington was previously called Munfine, and in the Medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles. Construction of Blessington House was begun in 1673 and afterwards St Mary’s Church in Blessington, which was completed in 1683. The main road of the town is an example of a planned improvement of towns and villages associated with estates in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Since the turn of the 21st century, Blessington’s population has increased substantially, more than doubling from 2,509 at the 2002 census, to 5,010 by the time of the 2011 census.

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

St Mary’s Church: is situated in Market Square, in the middle of the town. It was built around 1683, having been financed by Archbishop Boyle. While most of the church was rebuilt in the 19th Century, the tower of this old church remains at the west end. The original church, from 1683, was later altered to the design by Joseph Welland (transepts, north aisle). The church is well known in the bell-ringing community for housing the oldest complete set of bells in Ireland. The six bells date to 1682, and were cast by James Bartlet, who was the master founder of Whitechapel at that time. The money for these was also given by Archbishop Boyle. They are still rung twice a week, for Sunday morning service and on Saturday nights, for ringing practice. The cemetery is located within the grounds of St. Mary’s Church, Blessington and four of the graves are for the crew of an RAF Hampden bomber, whose plane crashed near Blessington in April 1941.

The church is a detached six-bay single-storey Church of Ireland Church, built c.1680 but extended in later years. The church is constructed in rubble granite. The three-stage bell and clock tower is finished in roughcast render and a has a castellated parapet with tall pinnacles. The sheeted front door has decorative strap hinges and is set within a small gabled porch projection to the north side of the tower. Window openings are generally pointed-arched and are frequently arranged in pairs; glazing is leaded. The pitched roof is finished in natural slate and has cast-iron rainwater goods. The church is slightly set back behind a low rubble wall with wrought-iron railings and matching gates. This well preserved early 19th-century church is set at approximately forty five degrees to the road; this dramatic siting adds much interest to the streetscape – and that is as much as I could garner from the internet for you all, seeings we could not really get near to the church.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

King Niall, 342 AD. (46 x GGF) The beginning and origin of the Neville Surname.

More to come: A rainy last day awaited us as we left our Irish digs to return home, but on the road to the ferry many more adventures awaited…..

“My truth makes perfect sense to me. It’s been a life time of knowledge, of journeying towards the truth, but what a fabulous journey it has been, and continues to be. The ‘road less travelled’ certainly, but a road that does reward the ‘brave’ of heart. A journey that will continue through other dimensions, with truths deposited forever within….

Nothing lasts forever in this realm and the truth is there for all to ‘see’, but there is always a guiding L.I.G.H.T. awaiting as The Grail gets ever closer…

Energies flow, energies dissapate, energies find their way home, find those whom will take them home. Nothing is too late to embrace, never too late to learn, never too late to find your way; faith & knowledge of the truth will always shine a LIGHT to those whom can ‘see’“

“The Keeper of Scrolls” 25th November 2021

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

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QUEST 32: ATLANTIC ATLANTIS: DAY THREE & FOUR

Filed under: KORO, The Quests — Leave a comment

August 13, 2021

“Grounding and settling down in Ireland was a much quicker process than last time we were there; tuning into the energies, we quickly found our feet and indeed became energised by it all. With lovely realxing views from our accomadation, we swiftly settled in, full of anticipation into quest mode…”

Thursday 1st July: St Coleman’s Church: Newcastle: St Colemans Church is situated in a quiet area of Newcastle, in lovely spacious grounds with views all around. Newcastle is a small yet beautifully vibrant coastal resort in County Down, with a population of 7,672 at the 2011 Census. It lies within the Mourne Mountains district and is extremely popular. The name of the town is thought to derive from the castle built by Felix Magennis of the Magennis clan in 1588, which stood at the mouth of the Shimna River. This castle was demolished in 1830. The Mourne Mountains are the setting for many local myths and legends. There are stories of ‘The Blue Lady’, a woman abandoned by her husband whose ghost still haunts the mountains, and more recently the idea of a wild cat living in the Mournes. Many of the stories although having true origins are only folklore and give many of the towns attractions their names, such as Maggie’s Leap being named after a local girl called Maggie, who leapt over the impressive chasm to her death while fleeing soldiers with a basket of eggs. You can read much more via the link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle,_County_Down

A peaceful site but little known about the church….

Sadly though, this little church was closed to us on this day: it was erected and opened in 1927, but the site would have been established long before that. There are some interesting artworks and pulpit to see inside, if we had been able to actually get inside. The parish graveyard adjoins St Colman’s. The churchyard is about 1 mile from the Church of Ireland Church, to which it belongs. It is therefore, technically a church cemetery as it is detached from the church. There are two Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war here. One of which, in the South-West part, is the grave of an unidentified Naval rating whose body was sadly washed ashore in May,1918.

Such a peaceful gravyard with some splendid memorials within. Many of the relevant churches upon this quest are shut do to covid and so i cannot show you any of the amazing artifacts and symbols that may be inside – instead some peaceful strolls around the grounds to soak up the enegies there… <click to enlarge>

It is written that St. Colman’s mother Queen Rhinagh, when in an advanced state of pregnancy in late 559 A.D., became the object of jealous hatred of her husband the King. The King had heard that according to a prophecy of authority his future son (St. Colman) was destined to surpass in greatness all the others of his illustrious lineage. Fearing the worst for her child still in her womb and for herself, Rhinagh was obliged to flee her husband’s company. She was nevertheless caught by the King’s men and cast with a heavy stone tied around her neck into the deepest portion of the Kiltartin river. Miraculously, Our Blessed Lord intervened, and in an instant, the heavy stone floated like a cork to the surface, bringing Rhinagh and her future offspring (St. Colman) safely to the river’s bank.

You can read more about St Coleman and his miraculour birth and life here:

http://www.stcolman.com/life_baptism.html

Grail Bloodline Connections:

John Fordham 1883 Collooney, Sligo (1858 – 1932) Karl’s 3 x GGF

Inch Abbey: Downpatrick: (from Irish Dún Pádraig,) meaning ‘Patrick’s stronghold’ is a small town about 21 miles south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It has been an important site since ancient times and it’s cathedral is said to be the burial place of Saint Patrick. Downpatrick had a population of 10,822 according to the 2011 Census. It is known for it’s historical connection to St. Patrick; the town being named after him. It is believed during the 5th century he had lived in Downpatrick and is currently buried in Down Catherdral. An early Bronze Age site was excavated in Downpatrick, revealing two round houses and some archaeological evidence indicates a Neolithic settlement at the Cathedral Hill site.

Lots more to read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downpatrick

Inch Abbey, located on the north bank of the Quoile River, was founded by John de Courcy in atonement for his destruction of Erenagah Abbey. The buildings are mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries. The first monastery established on the northern banks of the river Quoile in 800 AD was known as Inis Cumhscraigh, but clearly the area was in use way before that, in order (from a Craft connection) for King Niall (see below) to have an interest in the area. Nothing remains of the early monastery, but traces of the Early Christian earthworks enclosure can be seen on aerial photographs. The setting is really beautiful, and you can see why the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy established the Cistercian abbey here in c.1180. It is believed the Abbey was founded as an act of repentance for his destruction of the Abbey at Erinagh three years earlier.

Layout of how Inch Abbey would have looked <click to enlarge>

The abbey was colonised with monks from Furness Abbey in England. It was built to a typical Cistercian layout, a large cruciform church with a low tower at the crossing of the north and south transept. The cloister garth is situated to the south of the church. Along the east of the cloister are the ruins of a vestry, chapter house, parlour and day room. To the south is the refectory and kitchen. There was a well and a bakehouse situated to the southwest of the cloister. The abbey, which retained a strong English influence refusing to accept Irish monks into the community, was remodelled in the 15th century, before being suppressed in 1541. It’s name is derived from the Irish word inis, meaning ‘island’, referring to the fact that the monastery was originally surrounded by the River Quoile. Interstingly another ‘Game of Thrones’ location.

Inch Abbey where time reveals the hidden and ancient energies reveal. Inch Abbey still has many secrets yet to be revealed, many buried underground, within time. Many secrets, of a kind not visible, only sensed, waiting hidden in time, maybe never revealed…. Ireland, whatever the weather, is a beautiful country full of surprises and interesting enenergies. <click to enlarge>

At the time of King Niall (Karl’s 46th GGF) there was also a lot of Danish influence in the area, which will be a story for another day, but the Vikings did plunder the settlement in 1149 AD and carried out a great deal of destruction, that later had to be rebuilt, so the abbey has always been under attack over the years. What is interesting is that it was almost ‘lost in time’, because of how the valley is situated and how the land lies, a lot of the valley area was covered up totally, and it was only through exavations, that what was hidden was revealed again and the abbey discovered underground. This does prove that there is so much history hidden underground, and still to this very day much lies hidden, Sometimes the history is only revealed when new bulidings or carparks etc are excavated, so much still hidden within the earth. But in a way this is similar to history and knowledge being buried within the minds of folks, especially Craft or spiritual folks; the knowledge is buried deep within but unlike the buildings, time will forever hide it, and the passing of a person, unlike the simple passing of time will never reveal the knowledge gained – unless of couse we of Craft, of these modern times can pass it on to true and willing students – the ball is in your court guys – do you or do you not wish to learn the ways and knowledge of Craft or shall it be forever hidden within time itself?

More words and pictures here: http://www.megalithicireland.com/Inch%20Abbey,%20Downpatrick.html

Grail Bloodline Connections

King Niall 342 AD. Karl’s 46 x GGF but with a big connection here to the Neville surname.

Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. Downpatrick: This T-shaped meetinghouse has been at Ballee since 1721, originally a thatched building but at some point, later in the eighteenth century, a new roof was built from Memel pine. Later still the old box pews were removed and used to fit out new rooms in the church. But the walls are the same walls that have stood as silent witness for three hundred years. There’s no minister here and the church is amalgameted with a nearby church. We were very lucky to meet and chat to Lorna, who was very kind and made a special effort to get the key to let us in. So very lucky to get inside to take some good photos but sadly no video for we were escorted around on this occasion, not underestimating the kindness shown though.

Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. Downpatrick <please click on the image to view>

There are some lovely artworks and plaques on the walls, a wonderful collection of vintage religious books; any antique book lover would be in a personal heaven here, as indeed i was after just a short glimpse at the archives here. Elaborate timbers/roof beams, imported from the far eastern end of the Baltic Sea, from trees 100’s of years old, from the lands that were once East Prussia, adorned the ceiling overhead. Trade links with the Baltic were already established at the time by the Presbyterian merchants in Belfast. The church inside is very well looked after, with lots of natural wood used and the flaming emblem of the non-subscribing church on the pulpit cloth and plaques are indeed very striking. I noticed the interesting barrel-shaped mausolea, mostly dating from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries in the graveyard here and other graveyards in the area too. Downpatrick has a large number of what have been describes as being of ‘the barrel-vaulted variety, rather like a Nissen-hut ’.

Karl discovered some of his own family line here in the cemetry; the ‘Hill’ surname <click to enlarge>

Again a connection here to King Niall 342 AD; the name of which would later become the Neville surname, in time becoming the House of Neville, traced into Scotland, County Durham, Raby and Raby Castle itself (see previous quests), showing how fascinating it is, the migration and movement of names. Lovely energies, we saw what we needed to see.

https://velvethummingbee.com/category/ballee-non-subscribing-presbyterian-church/

Grail Bloodline Connections:

King Niall 342 AD. Karl’s 46 x GGF but with a big connection here to the Neville surname.

Castle Ward, Temple Lake and Audleys Castle, Downpatrick; home to the set of Winterfell, The Battle of Oxcross at Audleys Field from the ‘Game of Thrones’. The quest connection is to the High King of Ireland, King Connal and the Neville surname and to ‘those that are hidden in time’ A lovely day to be in Ireland amongst such magnificant scenery and compelling mysteries.

Castle Ward National Trust: Strangford Downpatrick: ‘The very popular ‘Game of Thrones’ is based in this area, where lots of filming has taken place, and this is certainly what many folks tune into, but these two questers here have never seen it. It certainly is a stunning area, all the countryside around is magnificant. The unique 18th-century mansion, famed for its mixture of architectural styles with its gothic and classical style collide at Castle Ward, rests on rolling hillsides, looking out over the tranquil waters of Strangford Lough. One can walk or cycle along the Lough trail or through the sheltered woodlands and spot butterflies, rabbits, ducks, and swans. One can step into a fantasy world of castles and dragons, when exploring the Georgian farmyard, the lough shore, and film locations for Game of Thrones. The restored Victorian sunken gardens are a gardeners delight. There is a lot of walking, but even though very beautiful, not really suitable unless one is very fit.

The whole area is connected to the High King of Ireland, King Conaill, 409 AD, in the Ulster area, which folks may know from the ‘red hand’ of the flag, seen in many places and buildings in Ireland. The Neville house or line has always had a big connection/obsession with the colours of Red, White and Black which featured very prominently in the early degrees of Craft, so there still may be some connections there, yet to be discovered.

The sunken gardens at Castle Ward and the view looking over towards ‘Winterfell’

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

Grail Bloodline Connections:

High King of Ireland, King Conaill (409 AD, Ulster) The Neville surname lineage. Karl’s 45 x GGF

Temple Water: Downpatrick: This very picturesque beauty spot is part of the Castle Ward estate and of course a part of our quest too. On foot a lot of walking needed to be carried out to get there but we did get some wonderful views overlooking this artificial, yet stunning lake. There are various trails and walks that take one around the lake, upon the shores. The whole arera is rather focussed on family activities these days.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

‘Those that are hidden in time’….. clues hidden under this manmade lake maybe…..

Audley’s Castle: Portloughan Downpatrick: Again another ‘Game of Thrones’ location and one can certainly see why, but long before that of course and much more important is it’s connection to our quests. One can park quite near, just a short walk up a gentle slope with wonderful views or one can, if up to it, drive up the very ‘off the beaten track’ way. It is a spendid building, what remains of it, with wonderful views overlooking the Temple Lake and it has a small courtyard area alonside it, where one can sit on the wall and admire the view. As a castle in it’s heyday it would have commaded an excellent position. It is 15th-century, located 1 mile north-east of Strangford, County Down on a rocky height overlooking Strangford Lough. It is a three-storey tower house, named after its 16th century owner, John Audley, of an Anglo-Norman family who held land in the area in the 13th century. There are thousands of small stone towers similar to Audley’s Castle in the Irish countryside, made for the lesser lords and gentry. Most were built in the late Middle Ages (roughly 1350–1550). Audley’s was built towards the end of this period. It was sold, with the surrounding estate, to the Ward family in 1646 and used in 1738 as an eye-catching focus of the long vista along Castle Ward’s artificial lake, Temple Water. The site has a number of paths to allow you to get to the Castle.

But also a connection here to King King Conaill, 409 AD, Ulster and of the Neville lineage.

Audley Castle and Temple Lake <click to enlarge>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audley%27s_Castle

Grail Bloodline Connections:

High King of Ireland, King Conaill (409 AD, Ulster) The Neville surname lineage. Karl’s 45 x GGF

Friday 2nd July: St Mary’s Church, Lordship: Riverstown: So the first church of the day and to our delight we were able to get inside. However there is not a lot on the internet about the area or the church. The Parish of Riverstown incorporating Sooey and Gleann is located just off the N4, 15 minutes outside Sligo town. Riverstown, historically called Ballyederdaowen (Irish: Baile idir dhá Abhainn, meaning ‘town between two rivers’), is a village in County Sligo, known for its musical traditions.

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

St Mary’s Church, Lordship: Riverstown; some noce symbolic items and windows here…

St Mary’s Church, Lordship was immaculately kept, both inside and out and there were some beautiful windows and artworks to see inside. Sadly there was not a lot on the interent about it; just a simple word or two such as the fact that the OS 1835 survey shows a cruciform ‘R.C. Chapel’ here and present nameboard states ‘Erected 1834’. Remodelled or rebuilt 1858-74 by architect John Murray. This Catholic parish church in the Cooley Peninsula dates from 1834. It stands alongside the R173.

Some beautiful and symbolic artworks and windows <click to view>

As always on these quests, whether we gain entry or not to a particular church or site we are able to mark off the ‘trail’ of the ‘lines’ as they travelled around, back through time to the days (in this case) of the 1700’s and 1800’s.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1932) Karl’s 3 X GGF

Church of the Immaculate Conception: Lisaturrin: A stunning looking church, in the parish of Kingscourt, in a very elevated position with amazing views all around and happily again we were able to gain access. This time we managed to squeeze in before the start of a funeral, which at the time we was not aware was imminent. An interesting church with a connection to John Fordham 1883, we do know that the Fordhams were originally out of Colooney, south/east of Sligo and prior to that, they were in France (the Desposyni line) and because of the migrational patterns the Fordhams spent time in this area of Cavan County. The whole area is quite mountainous and one can easily get ‘off the beaten track’ and explore wherever the tracks may lead to, but we do have to stick to the main purpose that is at the heart of our quests.

An impressive Victorian Gothic-Revival church, embellished with fine stonework and stained glass, designed by Cavan architect William Hague (1836-1899), and built to replace an earlier chapel. The plan and elevation are reflective of a literal interpretation of medieval church plan and elevations. The colourful note added by the alternating slate and stone to the exterior are aesthetically pleasing, while the variety of stonework finishes to both interior and exterior exemplify local craftsmanship of the period. The retention of original detailing such as floor tiling and pews is also important. The building is of national artistic significance for its stained glass windows by the Dublin-born painter and stained glass artist Evie Hone (1894-1955), commissioned 1946, as well as windows from the studio of Harry Clarke, added c.1960. There are also some stuning Celtic crosses in the gravyard (see above) and you can read more about the stunning windows and interior from the link below.

A beautiful interior with many symbolic artworks and windows <click on image for close ups>

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/40310009/church-of-the-immaculate-conception-hall-street-dunaree-kingscourt-cavan

Grail Bloodline Connections:

John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1932) Karl’s 3 X GGF

Virginia Church: Virginia: Quite a large church in big grounds right in the heart of Virginia on a busy road junction. Again we could not get in but had a good look around before having a lovely lunch (outside because of covid) in a bistro across the road. Virginia (Irish: Achadh an Iúir, meaning ‘field of the yew)is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. Founded in the 17th century at as a plantation town, it now holds both local industry and commuter housing. Founded at Aghanure it was named Virginia after Queen Elizabeth 1 of England, the “Virgin Queen.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia,_County_Cavan

Virginia Church, some lovely old Celtic crosses <click to enlarge>

The church serves as a symbolic focal point in this former plantation town, the church enjoys a monumental setting which is enhanced by its ample grounds and mature trees. The plan is simple but effective, placing the focus on the church tower and spire which can be seen from a distance. The building is a good example of a Board of First Fruits church with early nineteenth century ‘gothic’ style details such as the cusp mouldings in the windows and crenellated parapet buttresses serving more decorative than structural functions. Major alterations were made to the church following a storm on Christmas night in 1818 when the steeple fell and destroyed the roof, and after a fire which caused major damage in 1830. There are some attractive old Celtic crosses in the graveyard.

St Mary’s Church of Ireland: Dillonsland: It was a very fleeting visit to this church as we could not even get into the grounds for a wander around – so a few quick snaps from the roadside had to suffice! The modern Navan Parish is made up of five mediaeval parishes: Athlumney, Cannistown, Donaghmore, Dunmoe and Navan. Although cemeteries still survive in these locations, the churches were suppressed in the Penal Laws era, with many surviving simply as derelict buildings. St. Mary’s Church is named after the mediaeval Augustinian abbey which was located on the outskirts of the Parish called St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s Abbey and its associated granges were suppressed on the orders of King Henry VIII, the English monarch.

Just a few quick snaps from behind the railings!

Detached church, built c.1815, with three-bay side elevation to nave, having single-bay chancel attached to east. Earlier three-stage pinnacled tower, built 1762, attached to west. Set behind railings in graveyard. Double-pitched and hipped roofs, natural slates, dentil eaves course, cast iron gutters. Uncoursed rubble limestone walls with ashlar trims signal and diagonal pinnacled buttresses at corners and west wall – some pinnacles removed. Perpendicular-style openings with stone frames and timber tracery, dark coloured glass, 1870’s east window. Surrounded by graveyard with graves dating from mid 18th century, ashlar gate piers and cast iron railings and gates c.1870.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Navan

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/14009410/st-marys-church-of-ireland-church-church-hill-townparks-navan-county-meath

http://www.navanhistory.ie/index.php?page=st-mary-s-church-of-ireland

Grail Bloodline Connections:

John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1932) Karl’s 3 X GGF

See our video on the first few days of our adventure!

Karls Comments on the First Few Days

The Purpose of the Quests from Karl: “The purpose of what the quests are really about, and what we do on these quests is to ‘sign off’ or ‘tie off’ some of the churches that we know from the past, which will of course mean different things to different people. What we are trying to do is to establish the past in order to try and understand the future, and of course we have the Grail in that line there, along the way. As i have said so many times before – what is the Grail? It is a mystery and perhaps it will always remain a mystery, perhaps it is meant to, but what’s interesting is, there are different messages that our forefathers, our ancestors left for us in different places, and these churches often have the signs, and symbols and codes that will allow us to see and know which direction the path is following in. Will we ever find the Grail – who knows, perhaps the Grail has been with us all the time, who knows that? At the end of the day though the Grail means something, and it’s a pathway to follow”

Ireland is a beautiful place and we hope it stays that way for many years to come……

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ August 2021

<moon.willow@ntlworld..com>

Tags: Ancient Celtic Cross, Atlantic Atlantis, Audley's Castle: Portloughan Downpatrick, Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. Downpatrick, Castle Ward National Trust: Strangford Downpatrick, celtic crosses, Church of the Immaculate Conception: Lisaturrin, Craft Knowledge, John Fordham, Knowledge, Lordship: Riverstown:, St Mary's Church, St Mary's Church of Ireland: Dillonsland, Temple Water: Downpatrick, The Grail Path, Virginia Church: Virginia

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QUEST 32: ATLANTIC ATLANTIS: DAY ONE & TWO.

Filed under: KORO, The Quests — 2 Comments

July 19, 2021

“After about 18 months of trying to get to Ireland on this mighty long awaited quest because of covid, we were full of happiness and anticipation to have finally made it. The journey to the Liverpool ferry was of course part of the quest itself, visiting two beautiful churches along the way and for those who have been following our quests you will have picked up maybe, the reason why we visit the sites we do. Altogether it turned out to be at least a 2000 mile round trip where we travelled from coast to caost of both the north an south of Ireland; a truly amazing adventure!”

Day One: Tuesday 29th July 2021: Saint Savours Church: Aston-by-Stone, Stone. Set in a gorgeous part of the English countryside, in a ‘middle of nowhere’ peaceful setting, this church really did look a picture postcard, with beautifully maintained gardens and flowers everywhere. An interesting little church but sadly closed. Yet when one looked closely a few surprises with a little ‘secret’ around the back….

Aston-by-Stone: Staffordshire: The pretty silhouette of the spire of St Saviour’s Church is what folks see at first, yet there is also the Catholic Church of St Michael in the grounds of Aston Hall, now run by a small group of nuns who care for sick and aging clergy. The relics of St Chad were rediscovered in the chapel at Aston Hall in 1838, where they had been hidden during the Reformation. Legend has it that a cross on the Hall’s boundary wall marks the spot where a monk was killed by lightning. There is a large pond and old osier bed, reflecting the connection to the potteries, that require baskets for transporting their products. A stream runs down to the pool at Aston Farm, which at one time provided the power for a waterwheel. This wheel still exists and was used to grind corn, and earlier this century to power a milking machine.

The name Aston is probably derived from the Anglo-Saxon for ‘Ashtown’ and was recorded in the Domesday book as Estone. It is an ancient crossing point, and a ford or bridge has existed there since the 15th century, and pre-dates the bridge in Stone. The main road from Stafford to Stone crossed the Trent in Aston until the Stafford-Stone turnpike was opened in 1761. The former is now a quiet lane, with a narrow humped-backed canal bridge on a bend and the banks are rich in wildflowers. There is an old wharf at Mill Farm, the site of a water-powered flint mill. Ground flints were also required by the Potteries.

St Savours Church: Situated in Church Lane, Aston, the church serves the area of Aston, and Little Stoke. 1846, the architect was James Trubsham, the steeple was added in 1870 by J R Botham. It is Gothic style and an A grade 2 listed building, with a stone with slate roof, nave, chancel, and north-west tower with broach steeple. It has a good east window by C A Gibbs and a WW2 memorial plaque. The parish church was built in the Early English style during the 1840s by local landowners, the Parker-Jervis family. As it was closed due to covid (i guess) there was no chance of getting inside to take any photos. It is recorded that the church has records from about 1870 circa, however there are older records going back to 625 AD, from the very foundation of the church, which clearly there had to be, as Karl’s 49 x Great Grandfather was there in his own time up until 494 AD.

Upon the church building are carvings of geometric pyramid shapes (meaningful in Craft) and a Lord and Lady take guard over the entrance, while round the back of the church a secret path leads to a treasured building with an angel keeping a silent watch… <click to enlarge>

Symbols in stone, an angel guards a secret path to a building unspoken of, and the Lord and Lady stay silent…..

After doing some research on the internet it seems that the mysterious building is the Parker Jervis Mausoleum, which sadly gives the appearance of being very unattended, but maybe it is meant to look that way? It is a Grade 2 listed building built in 1864 by John Wood for the Parker Jervis family of Aston Hall, made from Hollington sandstone ashlar. It is rectangular on the plan with walls having a pronounced batter with roll moulded cornice in the Doric style. <interestingly a few masonic references here> A blocking course conceals a flat roof of stone,with a straight head doorway on the short side, with plain lintel and a plank door with wrought-iron hinges. The mausoleum is sunk into the ground of the churchyard with roughly hewn sandstone retaining walls. It was erected at the expense of the Honourable Edward Swinfen Parker Jervis of Little Aston Hall and his son Edward John Parker Jervis of Aston House, Aston by Stone, and consecrated on 9th April 1864. I do not know whom Parker Jervis was, apart from being a prominent person in his day, or if anyone (or anything for that matter) is still lain inside the mausoleum, but it is a fascinating and secretive building hidden away as it is, and one cannot but wonder why? Maybe more rresearch for another day…..

http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/mausolea/view/491/Parker_Jervis_Mausoleum

Grail Bloodline Connections:

Nascien Desposyni, the name of which later became the Fordham line/surname. He visited the area in 466AD (lived 450-494 Sommant, France) and is Karl’s 49 x GGF.

Day One: Tuesday 29th July 2021: Our Lady & Saint Nicholas Church: Liverpool. The Anglican Parish Church of Liverpool is on a site said to have been a place of worship since at least the 1250s. The church is situated close to the River Mersey near the Pier Head and controls a prominent view. One would have thought it to be easy to locate, right on the river front as such, but what with all the road-works in the area and placement of the windows and other things within the car, we ended up driving around for a bit before finally seeing it! Of course Liverpool is a very vibrant and busy city with lots of regeneration going on, especially in the waterfront area where we were.

A sailors church overlooks the quayside, the old resides amongst the new, symbols set in stone and wood, past memories cherished in time….

The Chapel of St Nicholas (Patron Saint of Sailors) was built on the site of St May del Quay, which in 1355 was determined to be too small for the growing borough of Liverpool. It is recorded as a designated Grade II listed building and was constructed between 1811 – 1852 from designs by architect’s Edward C Butler and Thomas Harrison. It is an active parish church in the diocese of Liverpool, ye sadly although folks were around there, we were still not allowed in to do our research – so maybe not that active then in respect of visitors traveling from afar?

The church was once the tallest building in Liverpool at 53 metres from 1813–1868 when surpassed by the Welsh Presbyterian Church in Toxteth. The church stands in the heart of Liverpool Business District and is one the city’s oldest and most historic churches. There was a nice peaceful energy there and some very symbolic pieces in the gardens and upon the church exterior walls.

Many fascinating symbols of a Craft nature are to found all over the church here & who knows what was waiting to be found inside… <click to enlarge>

There has been a place of worship on this spot since at least 1257 with St Mary Del Quay mentioned in records from around this time, a larger chapel was constructed in 1362 and dedicated to St Nicholas patron saint of mariners, as Liverpool grew as a city the church grew in size doubling itself by the 15th century. During the Civil Wars the defeated and captured Parliamentarians were imprisoned in the church. The continued growth of the city saw a spire added in 1747 and the Churchyard extended two years later, around 1775 the church underwent extensive rebuilding due to its state of disrepair but by 1810 the church was once again in a state of neglect to such an extent that the spire collapsed with tragic consequences, the tower was rebuilt in 1815 and till 1927 the church changed very little but on the 21st of December 1840 the church suffered wartime bomb damage, the tower and administration section of the church survived but what we see today was rebuilt post war.

Lord Edward Neville had a particular interest in this church, around about 1471 AD, although he was based in Abergavenny, he was very interested in what was going on in Liverpool at that particular time and of the deep-rooted connection to religion and of how people lived their lives on a daily basis revolving around religion, at that time.

The garden area is fabulous and very well kept – a little oasis of tranquillity in fact and there are so many statues and memorials there which are a delight to see and the views of the three graces are stunning from the church grounds, which one can read more about from the last link below.

The gardens here are full of meaningful memorials <click to view>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

Lord Edward Neville 1471AD Abergavenny Karl’s 13 x Great Grandfather

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady_and_Saint_Nicholas,_Liverpool

https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Liverpool/Liverpool-Central/stnicholas/index.html

https://www.thetrailblazer.co.uk/blog/liverpools-3-graces-a-brief-history-1

Liverpool skyline at dusk showing the Three Graces

From Cambridge to Liverpool, and now it was time to catch the night ferry and in the morning we will be in Ireland; we were both so excited and full of anticiapation, hardly believing we were actually on our way after all this time – so dreams do come true and all one needs is patience and an understanding of time… The night ferry crossing from Liverpool turned out to be very smooth and comfortable, in our lovely new cabins, and despite hardly any sleep for a couple of nights, i felt rested and excited. A new day and a new adventure was waiting – touring the Mourne Mountains and coastal areas of Newcastle; it’s all so stunningly beautiful and will all be below… I was feeling very blessed.

Leaving Liverpool with a magical looking quayside….<click to expand>

Day Two: Wednesday 30th July 2021: After a cosy and comfortable night on the ferry, we disembarked at Belfast at 6am; a time of day that this writer rarely ever sees! But the excitement of being in Ireland and finally starting this major important quest quickly overcame any thoughts of tiredness. Driving through Belfast it was sunny and quiet, but of course it was very early! The suburbs of Belfast looked very attractive in the early morning light, which just served to motivate us on our way even more.

A suuny early morning drive through Belfast <click to enlarge>

St John’s Church. Hilltown. County Down: After a short drive, admiring the scenery along the way, we arrived at St John’s Church, Hilltown, a small village within the townland of Carcullion (Irish: Carr Cuilinn) in County Down, the main village of the parish of Clonduff, with a population of 899 people in the 2001 census. Hilltown has eight public houses in the high street, a legacy from 18th century smugglers who shared out their contraband here. The village has a livestock market on alternate Saturdays and a Georgian market house opposite St John’s parish church (1766) which adjoins the old inn, the Downshire Arms. Hilltown did not get its name from the two hills that it spreads over, but was named after the Hill family and Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire; the family were English politicians who also gave their name to nearby Hillhall and Hillsborough.The Hills founded the village in 1766 so people living in the area could find employment in the linen industry, and also built the church in the eighteenth century. Despite its early history, Hilltown has a very strong connection to Irish culture. It is a strongly nationalist/republican village, as is Cabra and the surrounding rural areas that comprises the parish of Clonduff. Throughout the troubles, both had a small contingent of paramilitaries, mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilltown,_County_Down

As we probably suspected St John’s Church was closed, maybe due to covid but also it was still fairly early in the day! The original building on the site was built 9th August 1771, and the current building was built near the site of the ancient pre-penal times catholic parish church. The gable of the ancient church still remains with an old graveyard surrounding it, the ruins forming part of the district crest. Nearby is the largest fairy thorn bush in Ulster and according to local legend called ‘Old Bull and Bush’, which grew, it is said, from a stick planted by a priest who had used it to drive off a bull which had knocked over the church wall several times during construction. The church was designed by Thomas Duff in 1842, but the building was suspended during the famine years, then completed in 1850. From a Craft/Quest perspective John Fordham paid a vist here in 1883 for a meeting, but also something interesting may have occured in that area in the same year, so is there as connection there?. An interesting church with lots of connections to the past and like all the churches we visit on our quests, it not the buildings we visit but the connection to why the church was built there originally. A reason then, that over time the churches have been built upon over and over again until the true reason has become well and truly hidden in time. One has to look deep to discover just why these churches are built in these specific places, and in these current times often in isolated places but usually in an elevated position – so lots to think about folks! Some lovely views, but as we could not get in we simply had a stroll around.