Irish Cultural Institute

20/05/2014

Crow's feet aren't just found around your eyes. The symbol is a common occurrence on walls and buildings around the Irish countryside.

The crow's foot is symbolic of the three legged tripod that would hold the surveyors theodolite. The Ordnance Datum is the top of the symbol.

The datum remained in use until 1958 and was based on the Irish datum of 1837 at Poolbeg lighthouse house, Dublin.

20/05/2014

For those who enjoy Battlefield re-eactments, history and/ or archaeology, the newly launched Vinegar Hill website is well worth keeping an eye on for future developments. http://vinegarhill.ie/ There's also a nice Knights and Rebels blog with some good entries. Well done to all involved.

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14/05/2014

Funding announced for 2015 that will enable commemorative projects of national importance to proceed http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2014/05/e22m-funding-for-2015-allows-commemorative-projects-of-national-importance-to-proceed-deenihan/

· Projects to be funded in 2015 include major developments at GPO, National Archives, National Concert Hall, Kilmainham Courthouse and Gaol, and Military Archives

12/05/2014

Anyone got a favourite or one to add to the interesting topic of Oscar Wilde's literary quotes. Anyone got a favourite in the list written by Sarah Gilmartin. No 5 makes me smile.. a great attitude to life. http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/oscar-was-wilde-about-books-1.1792198

With ‘The Ideal Husband’ currently playing at Dublin’s Gate Theatre, we’ve put together 10 literary quotes from its author

30/04/2014

Leap Castle, Co. Offaly was the principal seat of the ruling O’Carrolls of Ely and was constructed in the sixteenth century to defend against the encroachments of Butlers of Ormond. The tower house has a bartizan (a projecting floorless turret used to defend a tower house/ building) at the north west corner and a crenellated wall-walk. In 1532 after the death of the O’Carroll chieftain, family arguments resulted in the death of a priest who was a member of the family, by his brother while he was saying mass. Since then the chamber has been known as the ‘bloody chapel’. As late as the earlier part of the twentieth century, workmen discovered an oubliette just off the main chamber. The oubliette is a small chamber hidden within the wall of the ‘bloody chapel’ which consists of a small hole in the floor through which a person was pushed and fall to their death as they fell through a drop of c.2m, in the case of Leap Castle, landing on a series of wooden spikes.
The building to the north of Leap Castle consists of a Georgian house built around the core of an earlier Jacobean house.

Leap Castle is regarded as one of the most haunted castles in Ireland. Mildred Darby (whose family came to own the castle through marriage with the O’Carroll family in 1659) published an account of her encounter with an elemental spirit mentioning the shape and strong odour of the spirit.

11/04/2014

Recommendations concerning the wearing of gloves when handling manuscripts. A short and informative quick read... well worth the two minutes.
http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2011/08/white-gloves-or-not-white-gloves.html

Whenever a British Library manuscript is featured in the press or on television, we inevitably receive adverse comments about our failure to wear white gloves! The association of glove-wearing with handling old books is in fact a modern phenomenon, and one that has little scientific basis. The Briti...

07/04/2014

Mother nature has with her severe weather that beat the Atlantic coast of Ireland over the last few months shown us some more glimpses of our heritage. The storms have stripped and washed away sand, stone and debris in several places which has resulted in the partial destruction of a portion of Dúnbeg promontary fort on the Di**le peninsula, Kerry,the exposure of 19th century schooner 'Sunbeam' in Co. Kerry, the exposure and removal of human remains on Omey Island, Co. Galway and most recently the discovery of a submerged ancient forest on the south east Connemara shore.

The forest is being researched by an NUI Galway geologist, Prof. Mike Williams. In recent days, a local resident was walking the coastline to see the forest, when he reported the discovery of an ancient trackway. The trackway would appear to be prehstoric and may be in keeping with the many examples of prehistoric trackways/ toghers that have been recorded and excavated by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (NUI Dublin) since the early 1990's.

It is assumed that the forest will become covered by Mother nature over the coming months.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/ancient-trackway-found-within-drowned-forest-in-connemara-1.1750856

Oak structure confirms human habitation before Galway Bay was formed

31/03/2014

Big hug to all the medievalists out there on this the International Hug a Medievalist Day today. Hugs to post-medievalists also... go on, you know you want to ;)

03/03/2014

Easter Saturday 19th April 2014 is first National Pilgrims Path Day in Ireland. Its a fantastic initiative that gets people experiencing pilgrimage routes in a way that is meaningful to each individual, be it historical, artistic, religious, reflective or just plain curious. This looks like something that will grow strongly and will receive much support and interest from overseas visitors from many walks of life. Congratulations to all involved http://www.pilgrimpath.ie/

Pilgrimage has been defined as “a meaningful journey to a place of spiritual significance” and the practice is almost as old as recorded history. In Ireland the pilgrim journey has strong historic resonance with early Christian scholars coming to Clonmacnoise; medieval penitents journeying to Lough…

26/02/2014

An interesting conference 'Beyond the Grave' is taking place in Limerick on the weekend of 25-27th April 2014. The conference springs from a partnership between Limerick Museum and Archives (LM&A) and history and geography departments of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The conference will address the social and physical acts surrounding burial and death in modern and ancient Ireland. The conference aims to bridge the gap between expert and non expert, FREE admission and advance booking is essential.

http://www.limerick.ie/cityarchives/beyondthegrave/

An extensive collection of Limerick related materials, this local collection is an essential aid for anyone researching the history of Limerick. Local Studies

24/02/2014

The creation of a new Culture and Heritage Centre at College Green Dublin was announced today. The Centre is part of a ten year licence that runs alongside the Decade of Centenaries. The Bank of Ireland will be facilitating guided access to the House of Lords. The exhibitions will include focus upon key events in Irelands history. http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/PressReleases/2014/February2014PressReleases/htmltext,17488,en.html

Monday, 24thFebruary — Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has welcomed a significant partnership between the State and the Bank of Ireland which will result in the creation of a new Cultural and Heritage Centre at Parliament Buildings, College Green.

11/02/2014

An interesting talk this Saturday 15th February from 1-2pm in Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo about the 'Engineering of the hurling ball' and learn about the technology behind the sliotar.

Of if you're Dublin based and want the touchie feelie, get along to Collins Barracks for 'Hands on History' and take advantage of the opportunity to handle a range of objects with Museum educator.
http://www.museum.ie/en/list/calendar-of-events.aspx