Tag Archive: Belfast


11th July 2021:  Day thirteen and very last day of this epic quest!

Packing up a car in the pouring rain, always makes leaving an area, that much more sad and poignant and it certainly was a wet old day that greeted us as we left our digs for the very last time. But of course we still had a full day of questing and travelling ahead of us before boarding the night time ferry from Belfast back to England and home. So, very much lots still to look forward to! The rain had made everything look very bright and fresh and green, although i swear the green in Ireland is a much more vibrant green than in the uk!

https://www.gloine.ie/search/building/3300/devenish

St Molaise Church: Devenish Parish Monea. County Fermanagh: Happily the church was opened and in use when we arrived and we were able to enter inside and to take photos, especially of the windows. The church is in an extremely pretty setting with rolling hills and mountains behind it and a lovely spacious and very green graveyard. The church tower is dated 1787, the architect being Sir Thomas Drew, 1889-90. The church is limestone ashlar with red sandstone windows, quoins, string-courses and chimney. The fifteenth-century traceried window with carved foliate details and font are from from Devenish Abbey. The church has some stunning stained glass windows.

There are some interesting windows here, a very ancient font and some interesting plaques <click to enlarge>

St Molaise: One of the windows depicts St Molaise, so i endevoured to find out who he was. One century after St. Patrick’s death and paralleling the growth of monasticism in Ireland in the sixth century, St. Molaise (whose death is recorded in the Annals of Ulster in both 563 and 570 A.D.), founded a monastery on Devenish Island. The story is told that St. Molaise, resting from his labors, listened spellbound to bird song that was the Holy Spirit communicating. The reverie lasted a hundred years, and then St. Molaise looked around after the interval and the monastery had been built. The early Irish Christians’ belief in the supernatural had deep roots in the Celtic religion, and early saints were regarded as a more of powerful druid.  Other stories attributable to St. Molaise give him a magical rather than spiritual or moral authority.  Legends claim that during a snow storm on a visit to Tara, St. Molaise’s tent alone was free from snow. “The most excellent fire of divine love in him made the snows to melt.”

This stained glass  portrait of St. Molaise in the church was created in 1968. The  window is within a  stone window frame over 450 years old originally from St. Mary’s Priory on Devenish Island.  September 12th is the feast day for St. Molaise.

https://www.holyisle.org/the-island/history/

Another wonderfully scenic journey took us on to our next destination…

Mountcharles Pier: on the Wild Atlantic Way: Mountcharles Pier and the village of Mountcharles is located between Donegal Town and Killybegs in the south of County Donegal and is a Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point. The area was originally known as Tamhnach ant Salainn (meaning “The salt mountain field”). This refers to a salt mine in the area. It was renamed Mount Charles by the local 17th century landlord Charles Conyngham after himself. Charles Conyngham was a direct ancestor of the current Lord Henry Mountcharles of Slane Castle in County Meath famous for it’s music festivals. Many of the local buildings date from the 17th century with one building in the village known as the Olde Market House built in 1676. The pier is a tranquil spot with good views and we can certainly testify to that fact. It was a gorgeous spot, big open skies with a totally unspoilt vista, giving us a well earned place of peace. The sunlight and actual light was very clear and calming and so photogenic; infact a very calming place of peace and beauty to be truly savoured…

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • ‘The beginning of an ending…..’

So once more on the road again, through Ireland’s many vibrant towns and villages, stopping for lunch along the way, our next stop being the amazing and revealing St Nicholas Church in Carrickfergus and what a gem of information that would prove to be.

St Nicholas Church in Carrickfergus: Carrickfergus (from Irish: Carraig Fhearghais meaning ‘Fergus’ rock”) is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, 11 miles from Belfast and had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 census. It is County Antrim’s oldest town and one of the oldest towns in Ireland. Carrickfergus Castle was built in the late 12th century at the behest of Anglo-Norman Knight John de Courcy, whom played a very significant role in the towns history. The town is said to take its name from Fergus Mor (Fergus the Great), the legendary king of Dal Riata. According to one tale, his ship ran aground on a rock by the shore, which became known as ‘Carraig Fhearghais’, the rock of Fergus. Throughout the course of The Troubles, there was a reasonably large parmilitary presence in the town, namely the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Asociation.

St Nicholas Church and graveyard plus a beautifully painted building nearby..

Read much more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrickfergus

The church stands in the centre of Carickfergus and was built 1182 AD. It was commisioned by Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy whos castle is just a short way away. It is believed that an earlier religious building was originally on this site attached to St Mary’s Abbey. St Nicholas, at over 800 years old has had an interesting and tumultous past. The original design was cruxiform in shape and constructed on Cistercian lines. It had Norman arches opening up on the side asles. In 1306 the church was enlarged by Robert de Mercer, resulting in the chancel being twice as long as the nave. After the reformation he church changed from catholic to church of Ireland and was not only the spiritual centre of the town but also the mayor’s courtroom. In 1568 the church was repaired by Henry Sidney, however attacks on the town in the 1570’s sadly left St Nicholas roofless and semi-derelict. But in 1614 the master mason Thomas Papps was employed to rebuild the church.

There were so many very ancient and symbolic artifacts within the church and we were very lucky to meet the very kind verger (?) and to have the church unlocked for us. The energies there were very strong indeed, which was no surprise given what a powerful and significant site the chuch was built upon (Craft-wise) <click to enlarge>

Read much more about the church here:

St Nicholas Church, Carrickfergus

https://shapedbyseaandstone.com/attraction/saint-nicholas-church-carrickfergus

The Book of Kells: There is also of course a big connection here, on times path, to the town of Kells that we visited earlier on, on this quest. Kells in County Meath, and the monastic site with it’s round tower is from where the Book of Kells takes it ‘s name, from the monks of the monastry there. But sadly the Book of Kells is no longer there in Kells, it’s real home and currently resides in Dublin. St Columba Tower is at Kells and the Book of Kells is also known as the Book of Columba. The monks there were said to have a metaphysical connection to G-d, in the form of a portal reached via the tower… and a connection here to the ‘Last King of Tara’ and the ‘First Christian King’ (maybe one and the same?)

Amazingly on our last day, in St Nicholas Church here in Carrickfergus; a church of extremely high and potent energies, we came across this beautiful manuscript. A most wonderful copy of the Book of Kells, not many copies were actually produced so how amazing to see it here! Sadly there were lights right above it but i did my best in the way of photography.The church was full of very ancient and relevant symbolism which i am yet to fully digest.

St Columba Tower at Kells, where the monks created the Book of Kells

One of the rare copies of the Book of Kells silently residing in St Nicholas Church, Carrickfergus

An amazing find and a fitting end to a most wonderfull and amazing quest, where knowledge was sought and found, where companionship became stronger and where the physical and mataphysical combined as one….

Glenoe Waterfall. Lairn. County Antrim: So as this quest was drawing to its close, two more beautiful sites still awaited us. Glenco waterfall turned out to be truly stunning sight, with the clearest of water and deep green folaige, nature at its best and with connections also to the Knights Templars and their rites, a truly mesmerising peaceful place, imbued with amazing energies still.

Glenoe or Gleno (from Irish: Gleann Ó, meaning ‘Glen of the mass or lump’) is a hamlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is halfway between Larne and Carickfergus. In the 2001 Census, it had a population of 87 people. Glenoe Waterfall, owned by the National Trust, is located near the village. St. Columbas Church of Ireland, is located at the top of the village, nearby the Orange Hall and Young Farmer’s Hall. The village is home to an Orange Lodge and a Royal Black Preceptory.

One of N.I. lesser known ‘hidden treasures’, Gleno is a truly magnificent 30 foot waterfall nestling in the glens of Antrim. This was a bit of a surprise visit for us at the end of a busy day, making our way towards the night ferry from Belfast. It was a lovely stop to admire the view and to drink in the energies there. It is a very quite spot, blink and you would miss it, one of the hidden secrets of our lands. There was a small car park, near a short wooded walk up to the waterfall; one can hear the water before one actually sees it. A couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting on the far side, with maybe a flask of tea between them, but apart form that we only saw another couple the whole time we were there, so plenty of time to relax and take it all in.

A tranquil wander on our last day….

https://whatsonni.com/attractions/glenoe-waterfall

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

James Chaine Memorial Tower. Larne: With the sun getting ready to set we arrived in Larne for our last stop of the day – the James Chaine Memorial Tower alongside the harbour, it is a memorial to James Chaine, a former Member of Parliment for Antrim, who died in 1885. It is a cylindrical stone tower lighthouse with a conical roof, situated on the west side of entrance to Larne Lough. It is reminiscent of the Irish Round Towers of the past. It is know locally as ‘the pencil’ and is built of Irish granite. It is in a lovely setting beside the sea, although i could imagine the seas pounding those tall granite walls in wintertime.

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

https://plex.page/James_Chaine

A fitting end then to a lovely day and a most wonderful quest. So many very special memories to take home. We really enjoyed Ireland, nay fell in love with the counrty, the vast spaces, the clean air, the coastline and mountains, the wonderful light and amazing ‘greens’. But above all Ireland is a land of contrasts, the old sitting side by side with the new. Ireland has a sense of place, identity and purpose and is deffinitely not going to give up its past, in more ways than one, holding on tightly to it’s secrets and comradeship. There is a lot in Ireland, in the places we passed through, that alluded to ‘the troubles’ and in many communities one can sense a feeling of solidarity even to this day, and hints of times gone by are all around, only just kept hidden… I guess each community has a different tale to tell and many miles yet to travel.

From Larne, showing some of the ‘contrasts’ to Belfast and the ferry home to England!

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ 1st December 2021

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

So with speed and purpose destiny awaits us on another Grail Quest….

Quest 33: Eire the Great: Coming Soon!

“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.

Ancient Crosses and Religious Shrines nestle near the foothills of the magificant Mourne Mountains.

Churches built upon over and over again in time: why? <click to enlarge>

Read more below:

History

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1832) Karl’s 3 x GGF

St Malachy’s Church. Main St. Castlewellan:  So a further short drive to reach St Malachy’s Church in Castlewellan; a bustling, vibrant little town. Sadly although the church was open, a funeral service was taking place and so out of respect for the mourners we did not venture inside and sadly we could not stroll around the grounds either, out of respect  for all those whom were there… However we stayed awhile as we found a nice littel cafe almost opposite the church, in which to have a tasty breakfast and wonderful coffee! Castlewellan (Irish Caisleán Uidhilín ‘Hugelin’s Castle’) is as said, a small town in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland close to the Irish Sea, beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain. It is  not far from the Mourne Mountains, with a population of 2,782 people in the 2011 census. It has a wide main street which runs through two main squares lined with chestnut trees, designed by a French architect for the Annesley Family. The town is unique within Ireland due to its tree-lined squares both in the old town (upper square) and new town (lower square) as well as its very wide main street. The old market house in the upper square was built in 1764 and now houses the public library. 12 July 1849 saw the Dolly’s Brae conflict when up to 1400 armed Orangemen marched from Rathfriland to Tollymore Park near Castlewellan. On their homeward journey, shots were fired and police were unable to control the situation. None of the Orangemen were harmed, but it was estimated that about 80 Catholics were killed and homes burnt. Castlewellan throughout the course of ‘the troubles’, had a significant paramilitary presence in the village, mostly through the presence of the Provisional Irish Republican Army

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

The church is a Catholic church and is in the centre of the town and was built in the 1880’s on the site of an older church, by father James McWilliams, from designs by Mortimer H. Thomas. From photos on the internet, there looks to be some interesting pieces inside; many of the adornments and beautiful pieces were provided by donations and bequests of Messrs. Mooney Brothers, merchants of Castlewellan. The church was constructed from Magheramayo granite and it is certainly magnificant to look at with a very Italian feel to it. It’s name, from Saint Malachy, bears more than a passing connection to Malak, meaning ‘messenger’ from the Sumerian times, so there could be a connection to the church, but as we could not go inside maybe the clues and answers are yet to be discovered, and of course a connection again to John Fordham.

A fine, Italian-style building, so sad we did not get inside…. <click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1832) Karl’s 3 x GGF

The drive to the next church took us towards the lovely town of Newcastle and the Mourne Mountains, where we stopped for a short while along the coastal path, near the Bloody Bridge to admire the view and take some photos. The scenery in this area is beyond beautiful, and is almost divine i might add! It was such a glorias day and we were certianly feeling blessed to be here.

Wild flowers upon the sea wall. Without the splendour and wildness of nature what would we be? Enjoying the scenery around Newcastle and The Bloody Bridge footpath before being on the road again towards our next destination! There are always interesting things to see along the roads in Ireland, many that relate to Ireland’s history. <click on image to enlarge>

Kilhorne Parish Church. Annalong, Newry: Situated near the Mournes and the sea, Annalong is a picturesque fishing village in the heart of the ‘Kingdom of Mourne’. Annalong (Irish: Áth na Long, meaning ‘ford of the ships’) is a seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland at the foot of the  Mourne Mountains. It is situated in the civil parish of Kilkeel and the historic baronry of Mourne. It had a population of 1,805 people at the 2001 census. The village was once engaged in exporting dressed granite and is now a fishing and holiday resort.

Kilhorne means ‘church of the river’. This church is on the site of an old Pre-Reformation Catholic church with traces still of the old cemetery. It was built in 1840 with the chancel added 1883. Rev. George M. Black was appointed perpetual curate 17 Oct 1846, under the patronage of Rev. Close of Kilkeel. This magnificent church is located directly on the north-east coast of Ireland facing the Irish Sea and North Channel. It is a small Gothic church, consisting of nave, projecting chancel and side-corner modern vestry. Fronted by a square 3 stage tower with crenellation, and corner pinnacles. It has a front pointed arched recessed door with moulding and clock face. It has tall lancet windows along the nave. with ashlar quoins, and a modern Chinese granite disability ramp and a pitched slate roof with strap pointing. But sadly we could not get inside so who knows what treasures and clues it could have provided us on our quest.

As probably expected, some lovely anchor symbols in the graveyard and beautiful words upon a gravestone… <click to enlarge>

This historic church had stood in its original condition until the early 1980’s after which it was painstakingly restored to its present state. The restoration work was carried out by Mourne Granite Quarries, using Mourne granite. Part of the restoration work included removing the original aging render on the exterior of the building and exposing the beautiful coarse cut granite we see today. The newly exposed granite was then sand-blasted and re-pointed. The deterioration is ongoing though so work too has to be ongoing. I guess the wonderful site of this church, right overlooking the sea makes up for all the restoration work. In the graveyard there are graves to those killed in action…

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

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1832) Karl’s 3 x GGF

And so after a very busy day, we finally made it to our cosy and welcoming cottage near Newry, our home for the next two nights….

A last look at the marvelous Mournes for the night; always there to take our breath away…. <click to enlarge>

Some last words from Karl (Neville): “What a #Quest32 we had guys. There was no stone left unturned on this returning visit to the Emerald Isle. Some may even mark an area of County Mayo as the remains of Atlantis? Who can say? What is good to know about both Northern Ireland and Eire, is that the people are awesome, the views are divine, and the food is second to none. Bring it on Ireland ! We toured many churches and places of interest that Janis will be lisiting on her social media feeds and webpages, (she is!) so be sure to check these out. What a ride, what an adventure – Pieces of the jigsaw are certainly coming together…”

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ aka moon.willow@ntlworld.com
July 2021

 

 

 

 

 

IRELAND: QUEST TWENTY SIX:

Day Four: Dublin: Although sadly we never had time to see anything of the city of Dublin as such, i did manage a few quick photos whilst traveling to our designated destinations, but certainly a city to come back to and explore at leisure.

 

Driving through Dublin!

 St Andrews Church: Although we were unable to actually stop here due to location and parking challenges, we did indeed drive past and acknowledged that it is now the Central Tourist Office for Dublin! Times change, people change and the use of buildings change, but let us not be sad as it is indeed good to see the building being used and vibrant, even though not in a religious sense.

The original St Andrews Church was located on present-day Dame Street, but disapeared during Oliver Cromwell’s reign in the mid-17th century. A new church was built in 1665, a little further away from the city walls and due to its shape was commonly known as the ‘Round Church’. Thomas Dalton, Lord Chancellor of Ireland was buried here in 1730. The population of the parish in 1901 was 3,058, in 1971 it was 300. It has to be noted also that there is a high Lithuanian population here.

You can read more about St Andrews Church in the link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Church,_Dublin_(Church_of_Ireland)

 

  • Bloodline Connections: Both Albert John Fordham (1928-1987) and John Fordham (1892) were baptised here.
  • Also connection to the Neville line.

Christ Church Cathedral/The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity: This is the cathedral of the United Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the Ecclesiastical Province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the Church of Ireland. It is the elder of the capitals two medieval churches being founded in c.1030, the other being St Patricks Cathedral. There were extensive renovations being carried out while we were there which were tad disorientating, but the hoardings themselves were fun and very photogenic in themselves, giving an opurtunity for some colourful photography!

 

Christ Church Cathedral: There are many richly sumptuous artifacts and fine decor here, yet at the same time there are equally (or in fact more) relevant and important histotical artifacts seemingly hidden away in corners…

 

The ‘hidden’ artifacts; many of which relate directly to ‘The Neville’ bloodline; but just why would they be kept low key and mostly unmarked?

Christ Church is officially claimed as the seat (cathedra) of both the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic archbishops of Dublin. The cathedral was founded probably sometime after 1028 when King Sitric Silkenbeard, the Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin made a pilgrimage to Rome. The first bishop of this new Dublin diocese was Dunan or Donat; the diocese was at that time a small island of land surrounded by the much larger  Diocese of Glendalough and was for a time answerable to Canterbury rather than to the Irish Church hierarchy. The church was built on the high ground overlooking the Viking settlement at Wood Quay and Sitric gave the “lands of Baldoyle, Raheny and Portrane for its maintenance.” Of the four old Celtic Christian churches reputed to have existed around Dublin, only one, dedicated to St Martin of Tours lay within the walls of the Viking city, and so Christ Church was one of just two churches for the whole city.

 

Some of the amazing and priceless artworks in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin; more photos from this cathedral can be seen in the section on Celtic Crosses (part one) and Templar Symbolism (part two)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church_Cathedral,_Dublin

https://christchurchcathedral.ie/visit-us/

Right next door to the cathedral is a venue known as Dublinia; a historical recreation (or living history) museum and visitor attraction focusing on the Viking and  Medieval history of the city. Dublinia is located in a part of Christ Church Catherdral, known as the Synod Hall.

 

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

  • Bloodline connection is to the Neville line

St Patrick’s Cathedral: Dublin: On this occasion, although on our itinery, we never actually made it to St Patricks Catherdral which was some distance away; the journey had been fairly long getting to Dublin from our base that morning and still lots lay ahead. But hopefully in the future was shall be sure to visit. Please do follow the links though to read up about it:

https://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/learn/life-and-history/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Patrick%27s_Cathedral,_Dublin

 

  • Bloodline connection is to the Neville line

St Nicholas Parish Church: Dundalk: After another drive through the Irish countryside we arrived in the busy town of Dunalk in County Louth; part of the diocese of Armagh. This is a bustling and very friendly town, it’s name in Irish is Dún Dealgan, which means “Dalgan’s fort” and it is the county town of County Louth. It is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay, and is near the border with Northern Ireland, halfway between Dublin and Belfast, so we had travelled a fair few miles that day. It has associations with the mythical warrior hero  Cu Chulainn.

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

 

St Nicholas Parish Church, sits on a busy road junction in the heart of the town, surrounded by local shops, cafes and takeaways. Again once inside it is a beautiful church with a very peaceful energy. The original church was built in the 1220’s and some parts of the church have not born the ravishes of time very well, while in other parts restoration has been carried out.

 

The interior of St Nicholas Church

A Dr. Oliver Davies, who examined all the old churches of County Louth in 1945, put the probable date of the church in the thirteenth century and considered that it was the need of a rising seaport which called for its erection. In this connection it is suggestive that St. Nicholas is the patron saint of merchant venturers by sea, and that many sea ports have churches dedicated in his name. During the troubled times of the Rebellion in 1641-50, when Dundalk was taken by assault, and of the campaigns of Schomberg and James II, 1688-90, the church fabric became sadly damaged. It was re-roofed in part in 1702, as a stone in the vestry records, when Rev. Ralph Lambert was vicar, it was “restored in a new and more elegant form.” and as is the case for so many churches restoration continued down the centuries.

 

For a parish church St Nicholas did have some rather stunning stained-glass windows

https://www.stnicholas-greenchurchdundalk.com/history

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LH&regno=13701004

  • Bloodline Connection: the home of the ‘Fallen’ Nevilles of the Great War with actual records of the returned on ‘The Returned Army’ page.
  • NEVILLE, C, Royal Irish Rifles. From Church Street, Dundalk. (Tempest’s Annual 1916)
  • NEVILLE, Sapper, E V, 68 Division, Signal Corps, Royal Engineers. From New Street, Dundalk. (Tempest’s Annual 1916)
  • NEVILLE, Lieutenant, ERNEST W, Royal Engineers (Telegraphist). (Tempest’s Annual 1917)
  • NEVILLE, Sergeant, W, Royal Army Service Corps. From New Street, Dundalk.(Tempest’s Annual 1916)
  • NEVILLE, WILLIAM,  HMS Anemone. From 1 Brunswick Row, Dundalk. (Tempest’s Annual 1916)

Actual Records here:- http://www.jbhall.freeservers.com/the_returned_army_page_d.htm

Day Five: Belfast Jewish Community: As part of the Priory teachings we endevour to gain insight and understandings of all the earthly religions; to see common threads but also differences too. The Jewish community in Belfast dates back to 1079, but this building here was built in the 1960’s; as well as a temple of prayer and service it is also a community hub. The people there were very friendly and welcoming, and to someone who’s first time this was, the ladies kindly guided and engaged me in the service which was a massive three hours long due to the time of year!

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It is quite a big building; much bigger inside than it appears on the outside and  is decorated  in a modern style with lots of blue and light coloured wood. As expected, treasures of the religion are housed there for services, but as there was a service taking place when we visited (our reason for going) i was unable to take any photos. It has to be noted though that even in these so called enlightened times, there was a small police presence outside the building the whole time that worship was taking place.

http://www.belfastjewishcommunity.org.uk/history/

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

 

Bloodline Connection: The Neville line

St Anne’s Cathedral: Belfast: A beautiful building with the largest Celtic Cross on the outside that i have ever seen! St Anne’s Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is unusual in serving two separate dioceses (Connor and Down and Dromore). A cathedral is the place where a bishop has a seat but Belfast Cathedral is unusual in having the seats of two bishops – the Bishop of Connor and the Bishop of Down & Dromore. It is the focal point of the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast.

 

The first architect was Sir Thomas Drew, the foundation stone being laid on 6 September 1899 by the Countess of Shaftesbury. The old parish church of St Anne by  Francis Hiorne of 1776 had continued in use, up until 31 December 1903, while the new cathedral was constructed around it; the old church was then demolished. The Good Samaritan window, to be seen in the sanctuary, is the only feature of the old church to be retained in the cathedral.

 

In 1924 it was decided to build the west front of the cathedral as a memorial to the Ulstermen and women who had served and died in The Great War. The foundation stone for this was laid by the Governor of Northern Ireland, the Duke of Abercorn on 2 June 1925 and the completed facade, to an amended design by the architect Sir Charles Archibald Nicholson, was dedicated in June 1927. The cathedral is very grand inside and spacious and of course very photogenic!

 

 

Some of the beautiful artworks and stained-glass windows to be found inside Belfast Cathedral

 

The Columba Challice, The Hand of G-d; note the position of the fingers. The Pyramids in stained-glassan unusual design for a cathedral; if one looks close, one can see the sphinx too.

Bloodline Connection is that of the Neville line but we also saw a Forde reference too!

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Anne%27s_Cathedral,_Belfast

Stained-Glass Windows; the stories told: Throughout the lands of mankind, stories and myths have always been told; by scribes, by artisans, by painters, by monks in the old times, verbally by story tellers then and now, and of course by those craftsmen whom painstakingly worked on the stained-glass windows seen in churches all over our lands at certain sacred points in time. To understand the messages contained within, we have to look deep into our past history, yet not as we know it, not as we are told but of the real history, often hidden in plain-sight right there on the windows.

The windows often depict the life and death of ‘The Jesus‘, often showing him with a serpent entwined around a segment of the windows design. One would be forgiven to assume that it was a reference to the serpent of the well-known bible stories and in a way it is.  Yet it alludes to ‘The Serpent Priesthood‘; the path of the true Knight Templar. The serpent connects to freedom,  of being totally consumed by dogma; yet freedom has to be tasted within before it can be tasted without, so one (with knowledge of the Serpent Priesthood) learns over time how to control the serpent; how to be free.

The Jesus is often seen wearing the colours of the Templar (Neville) lineage, of Red and White (silver) representing blood and honour, especially in battle, with honour originating from the past monetery use of silver. Colours are never by accident; they are a very integral part of the hidden symbology and convey numerous meanings.

The lives and deeds of the saints are often depicted and of course it was St Patrick or Saint Columba here in Ireland;  a saint having a certain connection to an area will often be depicted in the local church windows, yet they are also shown in mythological  or esoteric connotations.

Of course many symbols and emblems to be found incorporated in these window designs again relate to the Neville bloodline, the Serpent Priesthood and to the Knight Templars, thus making them a fascinating source of history and thus traceble through time. But just why do these images always connect to each other in the way they do and how or why did they come to be? Enscriptions, together with Masonic and Templar symbols are very often placed strategically on the windows telling a truth without words, hidden from mankind.

The ladies in the life of the Jesus play a big part too, and if one looks closely at the windows, gender is not always what it seems to be either – or what we have been led to believe. Many artists of the day were involved in the creation of stained-glass windows, non more so than the Pre-Raphalite artists who were inexplicitly drawn towards mysticsm and knowledge. Celestial objects; the sun, stars and moon and other lesser-known planets, mean something much different in Templarism and often hold centre stage on many windows, often predicting the future times to come; yet offering a warning too. Caskets, boxes, scrolls, children and of course ‘The Lamb’ are often widely used too, as is nature and flowers, but always with a secret Craft meaning which eludes to the potions of creation.

 

.A selection of the stained-glass windows discovered in Ireland; many with messages hidden well within plain sight

So on these quests we are discovering among many things, how ancient buildings are speaking to us. The stunningly beautiful and exquisite artwork and mosaic tiles that adorn the wall and floors of many a church or cathedral is not just for the sake of the artwork alone, but also for the clues left to us, hidden ‘within stone’ of the true untold history of our country. All left for us to decipher; left for the astute truth seekers to discover and acknowledge – truly and surely a quest for the modern-day Knight…

Dan Brown did kind of have the right ‘idea’ in a very loose sense but was way, way off track with his actual facts and tellings; he had the wrong locations, the wrong churches and followed a few expertly placed red herrings, as one would. However the symbols of the past are all still here, expertly placed within plain sight for all to see, awaiting the astute to rip off their old hoodwinks and to decipher…..

These symbols do not connect to ‘modern day Christianity‘ for they hark back to a much older time, travelling through the lineages of The Knights Templars, the Free Masons, the Eastern Star, to the Egyptian Mysteries, to Ancient Sumeria and even much further back in time and beyond our world. The clues and stories have survived, yet few know of the real meanings and of the ‘placement’ of the clues in specific areas. It is truly a quest of a lifetime and most certainly beyond, and that is why we love these quests so very much!

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“The Grail Kingship is merely seasons in front.
So be it that all those whom disbelieve shall cease to remain” K. N.

“…show me that L.i.g.h.t that burns bright amongst the stars and the moon. Show me the dawn of a land that was never known and I shall see you in the trinity of time.” K. N.

Conclusion to our Irish Quest; many Templar secrets shared here:

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ October 2018