  Here are today’s topics of interest… •The Esker Riada-is a natural system of raised mounds that consist of gravel and rocks which are believed to have been deposited 10,000 years ago due to a glacier melting over Western Europe as a result of climactic warming. The Celts knew the Esker Riada as “An Sli Mor” meaning The Great Highway. The Esker Riada runs across Ireland East to West and is flanked by bogland. The monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise was settled at the crossing of the Esker Riada and the Shannon River, and it is said that 2 Celtic high kings are buried there. The ancients would have used the Esker Riada for trips to Newgrange, the Turoe Stone at Rath of Feerwore and the Cairn at Alloon. In the 1950’a a 1.5 mi. stretch of the Esker Riada was removed in New Inn for road building materials.
•Clonmacnoise-is a monastic settlement at the crossroads in County Offaly that dates back to 545 A.D. The site was chosen and built by St. Ciaran the son of Ulsterman who settled in Connaught. The settlement is on the east side of the River Shannon in what was known as the Kingdom of Meath. From the 8th-10th centuries the settlement was used as a Scriptorium by scribes and metalworkers. There is no one big church on the settlement there are however several simple churches that were build of wood construction. Clonmacnoise endured a violent life before it was finally conquered in 1552 by the English garrison in Athone, it was destroyed by fire 13 times, and was attacked 40 times between the 8th and 12th century by the Vikings, Anglo Normans and Irish and each time the monks rebuilt.
After it’s fall in 1552, there were no other monasteries erected in Ireland for 300 years. •The Turoe Stone-is said to be the best example of Celtic La Tene art and was said to be found near Rath of Feerwore near Kiltullagh. It can currently be found in the lawn of the Turoe House in Loughrea, Galaway. It is made of granite and stands 90cm high. The top half of the stone is covered with a continuous abstract currilinear design in relief, the middle line displays a Greek key pattern. The phallic shape of the stone had led some to believe that it is attributed to a fertility cult. I have started to read Sun Dancing which is about Skellig Michael, it seems like it will be an interesting read once I find the time to actually break into it! 
