Recent Comments by dougf

This is the causeway from County Galway to Aughinish Island, County Clare, looking back at Galway.  Galway Bay is to the left; its finger, Aughinish Bay, is to the right.

The island was originally connected to County Clare, but in 1755 that connection was lost due to the tsunami from a Portuguese earthquake. The British then built this causeway to Geehy in County Galway to provide for their troops on the island. So, land access to Aughinish, County Clare is only through County Galway.

Sunlight hits this face of the castle until maybe around 9:30 a.m.  The low-relief carving is hard to notice or make out when it is in shade (as in this picture taken 10:13).

A similar (but peaceful) pair of figures, one sitting on the other's lap, is on the chancel arch of Kilteel Church in Kildare. http://pix.ie/dougf/1308991 .  The Kilteel carving is quite eroded, while this (Kilkea) carving is in excellent condition.

I thought it was a calf, not a pig, that the man was carrying.  But i suppose eye protection would still be a good idea.  The 13th century church was mostly destroyed by the English in the 1600s & reconstructed in the 1800s.  The carving is probably from then -- both because it isn't very eroded and because eyeglasses (and probably goggles) hadn't been invented in the 1300s.  If this were original, the man and/or calf's mouth would be open & it would be a gargoyle.