The Kingdom of Connaught is one of the Kingdoms of Hibernia, a political division among the Changelings of Ireland.
Overview[]
Buffeted by rough Atlantic winds that often bring heavy rains and enshroud much of the coast in a perpetual drizzle, Ireland’s West contains some of the island’s wildest and most beautiful scenery. Sparsely populated and still mostly rural, the ancient province of Connaught includes the counties of Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, and Leitrim as well as the Aran Islands.
Rathcrogan[]
In County Roscommon, not far from Tulsk, lies the ring barrow of Rathcrogan. Also known as Cruachain, this gently sloping mound once served as the seat of the kings of Connaught. Irish legend claims the area as the home of Ailil MacMata, husband and rival of Queen Maeve, the instigator of the infamous Cattle Raid of Cooley. The land around Rathcrogan contains a number of ancient formations, including a pillarstone known as Medb’s Lump, the Cave of the Cats (Oweynagat), an artificial cave (or souterrain) reputed to house an entrance to the Other World, and the Hill of Corpses, a stone ring fort built around a standing stone commemorating the grave of Daithi, Ireland’s last pagan king.
The Court of Connaught[]
South of Rathcrogan lies the Hill of Cairns, the coronation site for Connaught’s pagan kings, where they joined with the goddess Medb in an intoxicating ritual of divine revelry. Beneath the hill, Fiachra of House Dougal, King of Connaught, holds his court. While less splendid in physical detail than the courts of his fellow rulers, Fiachra’s Great Hall is a worthy specimen of chimeric architecture, combining traditional Celtic and Neolithic building techniques with modern structural designs of earth-friendly, innovative architects patronized by the farseeing king. Recently, more frills have started to find their way into the trappings of the court due to the insistence of Fiachra’s fosterling, Princess Bethany, on “prettying up” the hall’s severe elegance. Fiachra’s palatial residence lies superimposed upon the ruins of nearby Roscommon Castle.
Galway[]
Located where the River Corrib flows into Galway Bay, the port city of Galway combines a rich Irish-speaking tradition with a more modern outlook brought about by having a university in its midst. Its protected bay and strategic location made Galway a natural trading center for ships from Spain as early as the 14th century. For two centuries following its Royal Charter in 1396, Galway enjoyed the status of a city-state ruled by 14 merchant families, known as the 14 tribes of Galway. Its allegiance to the British Crown had dire consequences during the reign of Cromwell, whose army ransacked the city in 1652. The forces of William of Orange also attacked Galway in 1691. After the defeat of the Battle of the Boyne, Galway’s prosperity dwindled as trade moved east and England loomed even larger in the fortunes of Irish history.
Modern Galway, with a population of 47,000, is the largest city in Ireland’s West. In the last two decades, the city has undergone a resurgence due to a two-pronged revitalization process aimed at capitalizing on the city’s colorful past and investing (through the cultivation of high-tech industries) in the future. Good road and rail transportation link the city of Galway with the rest of Ireland, making it a popular weekend destination for residents of the country’s more populous Eastern regions.
Full of narrow, winding roads dating from its origins as a walled, Anglo-Norman fort and trading post, Galway provides an ideal venue for walking tours of the city’s historic and cultural landmarks. Though Lynch’s Castle (a 16th century medieval structure embellished with gargoyles and numerous other stonework delicacies) now houses a bank, its stately façade, along with that of the nearby Collegiate Church of Saint Nicholas, lends an air of dignity hat sometimes clashes with the distinctly carnival atmosphere fostered by the city’s new commitment to cultural celebration.
Today, Galway bills itself as a “carnival city,” boasting over 50 festivals during the period from March through December. These events celebrate everything from traditional art, literature, and music to modern pastimes such as vintage cars, horse and auto racing, regattas and trout fishing competitions, and the annual Galway International Oyster Festival.
Claddagh Rings & Pucans[]
On the west bank of the Corrib, just beyond the Spanish Arch, lies the region once known as the Claddagh. Once an independent close-knit community of Gaelic-speaking fisherfolk, including a number of selkies, ruled by their own “king” or “mayor,” the village was demolished in the 1930s, its thatched cottages replaced by more functional housing. Little remains of the lost culture except for the sentimental silver claddagh (or friendship) ring, featuring two hands embracing a crowned heart, and the wooden sailing boats known as “hookers” or pucans once used by the Claddagh folk for fishing and ferrying peat, cattle, and other goods. A community of mute swans occupies the river near Claddagh, some say in silent testimonial to the lost way of life.
The Kithain of Galway, though, know that the spirit of the Claddagh has not been entirely lost. Inhabited by a motley of selkies, pooka, boggans, and a sidhe warrior of House Scathach, the pub known as the Crown and Heart, located on a side street off the Claddagh Quai, radiates a quiet aura of faerie magic that reminds all who pass by its weathered front of the pride of the Claddagh fisherfolk. During the hours near dawn and sunset, a chimeric pucan plies the waters of Galway Bay, sometimes traveling along the coast to visit other small freeholds along the shores of Connaught. Members of the Crown and Heart motley wear genuine claddagh rings, faerie treasures that give them the ability to detect insincerity when spoken in their presence. One of the mute swans, actually a pooka named Branwyn, makes her living (when she’s not being a swan) performing as a mime for the many festivals throughout the city.
Gort & Thoor Ballylee[]
Although characterized as a colorless little town, Gort (pop. 1,100) bears noting for its association with the life of William Butler Yeats and other writers of the literary revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The tower of Thoor Ballylee, a four-story square stone keep dating from the 16th century, served as Yeats’ home-away-from-Dublin from 1921-29. Today, a museum honoring the poet occupies the structure. Nearby is Coole Park, once the residence of Lady Augusta Gregory, famous for her collections and retellings of many Irish folk legends. Her house no longer stands, although the estate and gardens, newly restored, still attract visitors eager to see the “autograph tree.” George Bernard Shaw, Jack Yeats, John Millington Synge, and other writers of the time carved their initials into a copper beech on the grounds of the estate.
The Calliopeans[]
Thoor Ballylee and Coole Park are popular rendezvous spots for cliques who draw their Glamour from the modern aspiring poets and writers who visit the area in search of inspiration by Ireland’s famous writers. Despite having to contend with tourists, whose Banality spirals through the area, the changelings still glean Glamour from the writers who make pilgrimage to the famous spot.
Sligo[]
The town of Sligo forms the heart of what is known as “Yeats Country,” bound up as it is with the life of Ireland’s most famous poet. With a population of only 17,000, Sligo is still the largest city in northwestern Ireland. Situated along the banks of the Garavogue River between Sligo Bay and Lough Gill, the town has weathered invasions by Vikings in the 9th century as well as the later Anglo-Norman conquerors who settled in Ireland to become “more Irish than the Irish themselves.”
Besides the obligatory landmarks that mark the presence of Sligo’s native son: the Yeats Memorial Building which houses the Sligo Art Gallery, the statue of the poet near Hyde Bridge, and the Sligo County Library and Museum where the paintings of Yeats’ father John and brother Jack are displayed along with other Yeats memorabilia, are the ruins of Sligo Abbey, the town’s only remaining medieval structure. Visitors to the area usually find their way to one of the town’s better-known pubs, either Hargadon’s or Beezie’s, located on O’Connell Street, for a taste of genuine Irish conviviality before ranging outside the town to view the local landmarks.
- See also The Broken Harp
Carrowkeel Passage Cemetery[]
South of Lough Arrow, in County Sligo, the Bricklieve Mountains house a remote collection of Stone Age burial sites known as the Carrowkeel Passage Cemetery. 14 tombs, containing cruciform graves and elaborately corbeled vaults, salt the heath and bogland covering the sometimes-treacherous mountain slopes. One such passage tomb rivals Newgrange in size and complexity, although sunlight from the summer and not the winter solstice illuminates its burial chamber once a year. Not far away are the ruins of Stone Age huts, marking this lonely spot as one of the oldest inhabited places in Ireland.
Knocknarea & Queen Maeve’s Tomb[]
Near Sligo, atop Knocknarea Mountain, rests a massive stone cairn reputed to be the burial mound of Queen Maeve of Connaught (an honor claimed by a number of other megalithic sites in western and northwestern Ireland). The massive mound of stones (weighing in at nearly 40,000 tons) is clearly visible from five counties, the fickle weather of Ireland permitting, of course. Despite its temptation to archaeologists, the cairn has never been explored or excavated, although many visitors to the area undertake the hour-long climb to the top of Knocknarea to view it up close and personal. Tradition dictates that each pilgrim to the cairn brings with them a rock to add to its mass, a custom which, over the years, has made the thought of probing its contents increasingly less likely.
The Banshee of Knocknarea[]
Unknown to most Kithain, the tomb houses one of Irish legend’s most feared creatures, a Bean Sidhe, more commonly called the “banshee” by mortals. Entombed by a group of angry fae tired of her Ravaging attacks upon their Glamour, the rocky prison served to contain, though not destroy, her deathless spirit, which languished in growing desperation until recently released by the Keystone, one of the Immortal Eyes. Whether she is, in fact, the ravenous spirit of the legendary Maeve, Queen of Connaught, or some other faerie queen of old, is something her fractured memories cannot recall.
Connemara[]
The western part of Galway, a peninsula bordered by an erratic coastline carved by the persistent activities of water on stone, exemplifies the heart of the Irish wilderness. A ridge of mountains, collectively referred to as the Twelve Bens, rises in the center of Connemara, while the Roundstone Bog covers a large part of the area southwest of the mountains. Lakes, heaths, rivers, and rock-strewn ground provide a feast of wild beauty that ranges from barren splendor to lush extravagance. Orchids abound in certain parts of Connemara, along with hooded crows, merlins, and peregrine falcons. Connemara teems with small predators such as badgers and foxes, and larger animals including the Connemara pony and the recently reintroduced red deer. Otters play along the rivers, while gray seals live near the rocky shores.
A Pooka Paradise[]
The Connemara National Park, open year-round and containing four of the Twelve Bens as well as heathland and bogs, houses a faerie glade frequented by pooka from all over Ireland. Here, a gentle Connemara pony pooka named Ben (sometimes called the Thirteenth Ben) hosts the annual All-Hibernian International Tall Tale Festival, a celebration of the kith’s expertise in creative storytelling. The festival is held twice a year, on the evenings of the summer and winter solstices.
Roscommon[]
The Capital of County Roscommon is a small but busy town of sheep and cattle farmers that serves as a base for sightseers wishing to see the nearby stone monuments of Rathcrogan and other sites west of the Shannon River. The remains of a 13th century Dominican abbey founded by Felim O’Connor, then King of Connaught, house the kings tomb whose sides are carved with the figures of Scottish mercenaries (called gallowglasses) who hired out as bodyguards to the Irish nobles. The splendid ruins of Castle Roscommon, west of town, stand as mute evidence of the area’s weathered past. Built in 1269, the castle was destroyed by the armies of Hugh O’Conor, another King of Connaught. Restored a decade later, the castle stood until 1652, when it was severely damaged by Cromwell’s men. The castle’s eastern and western gateways, along with four round towers, hint as the imposing presence that once dominated the landscape.
Fiachra’s Castle: The Ruins of Castle Roscommon[]
Although the physical structure bears little resemblance to its former grandeur, Roscommon Castle presents an entirely different view to enchanted eyes. Atop this stately ruin, King Fiachra has created a truly magnificent faerie fortress. The chimeric restoration augments the castles original design with a few of Fiachra’s own innovations, such as a domed garage to house his fleet of racing cars and vintage autos, a tall tower ideal for hang-gliding, and a circular railroad that forms the perimeter of his freehold. Beneath the castle, in the area which once housed the dungeon, the king has constructed a gallery to display his chimerical replicas of famous racing vehicles and miniature trains. Within this gallery also burns the freehold’s balefire, indicative of Fiachra’s sense of where the heart of his holding lies. Not far from the castle, Fiachra also keeps a farm run by enchanted mortals. Here he breeds a stock of racehorses fine enough to compete in many of the regional and national competitions.
Aran Islands[]
The Aran Islands form a rocky buffer that stretches across Galway Bay. Formed of carboniferous limestone, these stony islands have almost no natural soil to speak of, yet they support a population of approximately 14,000 inhabitants who manage to wrest a living from their unyielding surroundings. The people of Aran are Gaelic-speakers, proud of their heritage, and determined in their conviction to preserve a way of life that is fast disappearing from the rest of Ireland. Although the tourist industry has brought a measure of prosperity to the islanders, fishing remains an important part of the islands’ fragile economy. Once accessible only by boat, a small airport on each of the three principle islands now connects Aran to the outside world.
Inis Mór, or Inishmore, the largest of the three main islands, contains a number of pagan and Christian sites. In addition to St. Enda’s Church, which honors the sixth century founder of Irish monasticism, the island is also the site of Dún Aenghus, a massive circular stone fort on the edge of a 300-foot tall cliff above the ocean. Three concentric walls make up the Bronze Age structure, which is embellished by a line of pointed stones as a protection against attackers from the sea. In the center of the fort lies a raised stone platform. Evidence suggests to archaeologists that this might have been the site for public sacrifice. The smaller fort of Dún Eochla occupies a high piece of ground near the western end of the island. The village of Gort na gCapall, birthplace of Irish author Liam O’Flaherty, shares the island along with Kilmurvey House, once the residence of Inishmore’s biggest and most ruthless landowner, known for his unfair evictions and unyielding attitude toward his tenants.
The island of Inis Meáin (Inishmaan) lies across from Inishmore by the strait known as Gregory’s Sound, named for St. Gregory whose coffin supposedly rose from its burial in Rome and made its way back to the islands in response to the saint’s wish to lie in the earth of Aran. A number of historic and legendary sites dot the landscape, including the stone fort of Dún Fearbhai, Cill Cheannach, a 12th century stone church, and a cottage made famous as the eummer residence of the playwright John Millington Synge. Dún Chonchúir, located atop the highest point of Inishmaaan, derives its name from Conor, the brother of the Fir Bolg chieftain Aenghus.
Nearest to the mainland of Ireland, a short hop by air from the town of Doolin on the coast of Clare, the island of Inis Oírr (Inisheer) contains the ruins of St. Cavan’s Church, a 13th century building which is the site for a yearly pilgrimage in honor of the island’s patron saint, and O’Brien’s Castle, a 14th century edifice demolished by Cromwell in 1652.
Achill Island[]
Only 20 feet of water separates Achill Island from the mainland. The island is 12 miles across at its widest point, 13.5 miles long, and covers an area of 55 square miles. It is a microcosm of Ireland’s West, containing mountains (some over 2,000 ft.), dramatic cliffs, fine sandy beaches, stretches of heather, and bleak moors.
The Michael Davitt Bridge connects Achill Island to the Mayo coast and leads to the market village of Achill Sound, the primary center for shopping, with facilities for boat rental and other water sports.
Achill Island’s highest peak, Mount Slievemore, lies along the northern coast. Near the base of the mountain are the sad ruins of Slievemore Village. Below Slievemore, on the seaward side, are the Seal Caves, accessible only by water.
Along the island’s south coast, the villages of Dooagh and Keel are fishing communities, noted for their picturesque beauty and fine beaches. A two-mile stretch of white sands lies between Keel and the 800-foot tall Menawn Cliffs and the Cathedral Rocks. West of Dooagh, Keem Bay offers no only fine views of the nearby coast but also the occasional sightings of basking sharks which frequent the temperate Irish coastal waters. Also along the south coast, the ruins of Kildownet Castle mark the island’s connection with Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s notorious pirate queen.
Mount Croaghaun (2,192 ft.) dominates the western end of the island. From its heights, a knife-edge ridge of cliffs slopes toward Achill Head, the westernmost tip of Achill Island. Beyond this sprawls the Atlantic Ocean.
- See Also Isle of Dreams
Seal Caves: The Selkie Domain[]
The physical caves that lie below Slievemore conceal a selkie freehold that has existed since before the Sundering. Here reside the descendants of the original guardians of Silver’s Gate. Since the disappearance of their legendary Queen Merala, doomed by her own curse upon the fractious Kithain whose hatred barred her kith’s return to Arcadia, the selkies have refused to elect another queen. Their legends tell of a time when Merala’s curse will be lifted, freeing her to return once more to assume her rightful place as first among the selkies.
References[]
- CTD: Immortal Eyes: Court of All Kings, pp. 56-62.