The ruin of a late medieval towerhouse with a tudor era fortified house attached, set on a tree lined ridge under a cloudy Irish sky

Graystown Castle • Tipperary

Perched at the top of a steep valley overlooking the Clashawley River, Graystown Castle would have posed a formidable challenge.

The townland takes its name from Walter de Grey, though these ruins are likely to date to the c.15th century when the Laffans held the land.

I'll do it meself if they carry on 😄

I would back that policy

There's another car that regularly parks [almost] as bad as this, and they have a BABY ON BOARD sticker in the window – they obviously don't worry about anyone else's baby being pushed out on a busy road.

Oh my god I've gone full Meldrew, someone stop me

A deflated kermit

Me trying to pronounce Uí Chellaig and Uí Maine in the last podcast ep.

More than one take was needed

If we have another I'm going to get knives on the wheels like Boudica's chariot.

A car parked in the middle of a footpath by an absolute toe rag gobshite

Like look at this shitehawkery! That's a busy, fast moving road that they are making people walk on.

The restraint it took not to bang on the door (or just key it)

Pure nonsense from them. Tipp county council playing another blinder. 👏

Honestly reaching the old man shouts at cloud / vigilante era, where I am seriously considering just walking over the top of cars parked on the pavement – I dont mean a couple of wheels, I mean taking up the entire middle of the pavement so people with prams or wheelchairs have to go out on the road

Visibility can be a small bit of an issue in winter, but there is SO much to sort out in terms of driver behaviour before you even get close to that.

2. How does a vis vest stop drivers from parking on the pavement (including while you are walking on said pavement)? I've nearly had cars try to barge me out the way several times.

3. How does a vis vest stop drivers from ignoring speed limits?

4. How does a vis vest stop the roads being in shite?

I live in Tipperary, I walk to and from work every day and I have a few questions on this motion from the councillors:

1. How does a vis vest stop the amount of gobshites speeding through red lights at pedestrian crossings?

A looming threat for Henry for sure, who seems a pretty paranoid man at the best of times.

I've often thought about what might have happened if one of the likes of De Lacy, De Courcy or even De Clare, had declared themselves to be a king in Ireland.

Would you say De Lacy was the closest to that?

Absolutely!!!! Hoping your novels turn into an intergenerational series

A note from Expugnatio Hibernica, it reads: For de Lacy's fall from royal favour, see Orpen, Normans, ii. 54-5. His marriage in 1180 to the daughter of King Ruaidri Ua Conchobair of Connacht may have given colour to the suspicion that he was aiming at his own independent kingdom in Ireland. When Prince John returned to England in 1185. after his disastrous visit to lreland, he reported to King Henry that de Lacy had prevented the Irish kings from sending him (John) either tribute or hostages, see A.F.M., under 1185. William of Newburgh Hist. rer. Anglic., i, 239-40, mentions the story that de Lacy was aspiring to rule Ireland treated Henry's messengers in high-handed fashion, and that the aews of his murder was joyfully received by Henry in 118

Surely a fella of Henry's disposition made sure to have some solid local contacts. I'm intrigued by this note in FX Martin's version of Expugnatio.

Means, motive and opportunity?

Ha I was wondering whether it'd be yourself or @pdufaigh.bsky.social who responded first 😅

What do you reckon?

Ha cracking turn of phrase!

Tywin Lannister could learn a trick or two from that lad

Hugh de Lacy was assassinated on the orders of Henry II

It seems to be the best year for bluebells in half a century. Bluebells to infinity in Moore Abbey Wood in Monasterevin.

Not just in patches, but everywhere this year.
Howards End (-ish)

An aerial view of Creevykeel Court Tomb it features a large wedge shaped drystone structure with a oval shaped 'court' on the left, leading to two small burial chambers.

In today's edition of our #MonumentMonday newsletter, we take a trip to Sligo to visit Creevykeel, one of Ireland's best examples of a Court Tomb.

#Ireland #SpéirGhorm #Sligo #Archaeology 🏺

45. An Ulster Scot on the American Frontier: The Extraordinary Life of George Galphin | Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast

Episode 45 of Transatlantic is live! We are off to the 18th century frontiers of Georgia & South Carolina, chatting about the remarkable life of an Armagh emigrant among the Muscogee (Creek) people, and the intimate relationships he maintained: shows.acast.com/transatlanti...

Cows graze in a field that is fringed by mature trees, with more wooded slopes behind under a blue sky

A lovely Spring day in South Tipperary 🔆

When the internet crumbles and netflix goes dark, Mr Bannon will be staring at the white walls of his empty, silent, glassy cube, while we feast upon dusty dvd box sets.

Ha it does have its perks now and again!

It took me a moment (I am a true son of scone=gone land)

Actually a general rule of thumb is that the more certain someone is that they have deciphered megalithic art, the more wary you should be.

Even contemporary art can be difficult to fully understand, let alone 5,000 year old art!

Megalithic art is marvellous, you can read so much of what you want into it. The consistency of some of the motifs and makes you wonder if the meaning would ever be understood, but I don't think it ever will, and I'm pretty ok with that.

Tightly coiled fronds of fern about to unravel

Tightly coiled spirals of megalithic art at Newgrange

Hmmm 🤔

Drifts of bluebells in a wood in Glencomeragh, County Waterford

Bluebells in a hazel wood in the Burren

An oystercatcher perched on a rock surrounded by bluebells on the Great Saltee Island

Bluebells in a historic graveyard on the island of Inishmurray

It's a lovely time of year to go exploring some of Ireland's old woodlands to discover carpets of beautiful bluebells.

Do you have a favourite place for a Spring walk in Ireland?

#Ireland #SpéirGhorm