Sitting 750 feet above sea level, this mighty stone fort takes its name from the irish language, grianan ailigh. Grianan of aileach speenoge, donegal, ireland landmark. Grianan of aileach or ring fort is located between derry and letterkenny. It has been identified as the seat of the kingdom of ailech and one of the royal sites of gaelic ireland. The grianan is only a short walk from the car park. The main structure is a stone ringfort, thought to have been built by the northern ui neill, in the sixth or seventh century ce. The stone fort of grianan of aileach sits on a hilltop in inishowen county donegal.
The grianan of aileach called also greenan fort, grianan ailigh or greenan ely is a fort placed on 244 meters hill in country donegal, ireland. Donegal on the summit of greenan mountain is the stone fort known as the grianan of aileach. Ordnance survey map c367198 visitors information visitors information for grianan of aileach may be found at the. Grianan of aileach, donegal, ireland visions of the past. Grianan of aileach, ireland the grianan of aileach is an iron age stone fortress. The cashel was built sometime around the year 600, but the site may have been in use as early as. Hillfort of a legendary kingdom which lies on 5000yearold sacred ground. The great grianan of aileach, with its surrounding earthworks, sits atop the holy hill of greenan in beautiful county donegal. Grianan of aileach is one of the best know monuments in inishowen. Dec 12, 2016 grianan ailigh, burt, co donegal filmed by martin carberry music by mark harmen. Ancient irish fort featured on 140ad ptolemy map of ireland.
Grianan of aileach attractions museums and attractions. The grianan of aileach genealogy of the maclochlainn families of. Although the story of the hillfort lasts for many centuries, usually it is described as related to the kingdom of ailech aileach. And most recently there was a controversial stabilization scheme undertaken by the opw in 2007. I read that seamus deane book reading in the dark and grianan appears a lot in it as a escape for him as a boy. First it was dismantled by the warriors of murtogh o brien. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Media in category grianan of aileach the following 55 files are in this category, out of 55 total. Oct 08, 2012 grianan of aileach, donegal, ireland posted on october 8, 2012 february 3, 2017 by ed hannon visions of the past one of the most visually striking places i visited on my recent trip to donegal has to be the stone fort at grianan of aileach. Oct 20, 2018 the grianan of aileach sun temple of aileach is one of the largest and most impressive circular stone hill top enclosures in the whole of ireland. One of the oldest monuments in ireland and second only to newgrange in its historic importance, the fort dates back to 1700bc.
Grianan ailigh big quiz night friday 15th november 20. It is a little difficult to find but well worth it. Grianan of aileach donegal, how to get to grianan of aileach. Grianan of aileach ancient ireland my report on the grianan of aileach, an ancient hilltop ringfort in county donegal in the north of ireland. The ui neill claimed the ancestry of niall noigiallach, niall of the nine hostages, a legendary high king of ireland who died in about ad 405 a very good year grianan ailigh soon became the focal point of this dynasty and an important royal seat in gaelic history. Grianan an aileach, historic sites, location of grianan an. The main structure is an iron age ringfort, thought to have been built by the ui neill clan in the sixth or seventh century ce. Grianan of aileach, county donegal, september 1987. Around the 12th century, the mysterious kingdom of ailech created many precious objects that now feature as artifacts in museum collections and fascinate many people. Well worth a visit with family the children will enjoy exploring. Grianan of aileach temple of the sun celtic canada. Then came the enthusiastic 1837 reconstruction work of dr. Grianan was not just a religious site, but a superbly chosen strategic site, which offered superb views over lough foyle, lough swilly, and over the rolling countryside of the inishowen peninsula behind.
During the day gates close at night it is possible to drive up to almost the top the road is well paved, twisty, narrow and steep but is easy to drive up, with care. Grianan ailigh is a group of historic monuments in county donegal, ireland built on the hill of grianan which is 244 metres high. Ancient to medieval and slightly later history grianan of aileach. Moving from the realm of myth to that of history, it is believed that the fort was built by the ui neill, an irish dynasty that ruled the area between the 5 th and 12 th centuries ad and was used as place where clans would gather to decide important matters. Situated on a hilltop 800 feet above sea level the stone fort was probably built on an earthen rath. Grianan of aileach is a stone hillfort situated at the gateway to the inishowen penninsula in co donegal. Journey to grianan of aileach grianan ailigh grianan of aileach is in county donegal, ireland just over the border from northern ireland. Grianan of aileachgrianan ailigh, burt, co donegal youtube. Family box of dexter beef, sponsored by dills dexter meats. The origins of the grianan of aileach fort are dated back to 1700 b. Grianan of aileach grianan of aileach is probably the best.
Grianan of aileach county donegal, ireland atlas obscura. To the west, the amazing landscape of lough swilly and inch island, and to the east, lough foyle and the city of derry. Ancient history grianan of aileach, county donegal. Grianan was not just a religious site, but a superbly chosen strategic site, which offered superb views over lough foyle, lough swilly, and over the rolling. From the site there are spectacular views over lough foyle, lough swilly and the surrounding countryside. These settlers also constructed sites that thrived for centuries. Grianan of aileach greenan fort or greenan ely, ireland. Aileach was the name of the gaelic over kingdom that had rule the area, this fort was the seat of power for the kings of aileach. Grianan ailigh, sometimes anglicised as greenan ely or greenan fort is a hillfort atop the 244m high greenan mountain at inishowen in county donegal, ireland. The glistening waters of lough foyle and lough swilly are clear, as is the form of the entire peninsula.
The grianan of aileach is said to have been built by dagda as a burial monument for his dead son. Grianan aileach the sunny place in the stones daily scribbling. Supposedly, the kings son aeah was buried in the center of the fortress. It was the main seat of kingdom of ailech and it was built in the 6th or 7th century. My report on the grianan of aileach, an ancient hilltop ringfort in county donegal in the north of ireland. Its name is the grianan of aileach the sunny place in the stones. This restored cashel is over 23 metres in diameter with surrounding earthworks and sits atop greenan hill with 360 degree views across lough swilly, lough foyle and the gorgeous countryside of the inishowen peninsula. The grianan of aileach sometimes anglicised as greenan ely or greenan fort is a hillfort atop the 800foot high greenan mountain at inishowen in county donegal the main structure is a stone ringfort, thought to have been built by the northern ui neill, in the sixth or seventh century ad. Grianan of aileach stone fort donegal ireland, ancient. The fort is only a hundred and forty years old by some measures though by others, it could be over two thousand years old.
Grianan of aileach lies halfway between buncrana and newtown cunningham off the wild atlantic way. Heres what you need to know about the grianan of aileach, the impressive sun temple of donegal. It is with great pleasure that we invite you to come and check out our exciting centre onsite at an grianan hotel, in burt, inishowen, co. In this story from the fifteenth century book of lecan, the grianan was built over the grave of the dagdas son aedh, who had been murdered. The grianan of aileach is a hillfort atop the 244 metres high greenan mountain at inishowen in county donegal, ireland. The mountain is 244 meters 801 ft high and in some historical resources is anglicized as greenan ely. I have just modified one external link on grianan of aileach. The fort was the seat of the kingdom of aileach, who ruled much of ulster at the time. The grianan of aileach is an iron age stone fortress in inishowen in county donegal. Grianan aileach grianan ailligh photos of donegal, ireland.
The grianan of aileach is a hillfort atop the 244 metres 801 ft high greenan mountain at. Situated on a hill top, 800 feet above sea level, the stone fort was probably built on an earthen rath. Book your tickets online for grianan of aileach, county donegal. From derrylondonderry, take the main n road to bridgend, then left to the structure.
This is grianan of aileach, an ancient settlement that has been witness to most of irish history. Grianan of aileach inside, country donegal, ireland. Grianan of aileach is probably the bestknown monument in inishowen. Grianan of aileach, co donegal galavanting ireland. The book is invaluable as a historical document, but perhaps the most significant effect of it was that it was the first work to propose the idea of a global coordinate. The origins of the grianan of aileach fort are dated back to 1700 bc.
Its location a top a hill, affords it amazing views of derry, donegal and tyrone. Seems this place has a history going back 5000 years. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple faq for additional information. The grianan of aileach is a circular stone fort crowning the westernmost peak of. Some early texts refer to aileach as metaphorically being the oldest building in ireland. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Built by the northern ui neill clan, the fort dates to the eighth century ad. Even for those not interested in the history of the fort, the trip to it is well worth it for the views which are stunning and take in at least. So glad to hear you thought irelands nature and history to be beautiful during your trip a few years ago. The cashel was built sometime around the year 600, but the site. However, there is evidence that the site had been in use long before the ringfort was built. Grianan of aileach donegal, how to get to grianan of. The burial place of gods and the home of kings, it now sits abandoned save for the few visitors who make the trek up the steep hill from the main road. To get there, leave the n southwards and after 3 kilometres you will reach the hills there are plenty of signs.
Historical sources tell us the fort was occupied by the powerful kings of aileach, the ui neill dynasty from the 5th to the 12th century. Grianan aileach the sunny place in the stones daily. We recommend booking grianan of aileach tours ahead of time to secure your spot. There is much legend and historical material related to the grianan of aileach. Grianan an aileach, on the main letterkennyderry road, is one of irelands greatest circular ring forts, with a diameter of 77 feet and walls that are 17 feet high and feet thick. The stone fort, which is located in donegal, ireland, sits on the top of greenan hill, and offers a spectacular view of the surrounding area. A windy and exposed place, grianan has been a silent witness to the history of ireland. It was occupied from about 800 bc until about 1200 ad. The beautiful views of grianan of aileach ringfort. Mar 25, 2017 grianan of aileach is located on greenan mountain at inishowen, county donegal in ireland. Went in october, 2016 and we were the only people there.
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