Devenish

So today I toured County Fermanagh on a bus with 50 people from the Women’s Common Room Club at Queen’s--members are Queen’s graduates, faculty, or faculty spouses. It was organised by Carol Bardon, whose husband, Jonathan, is a published historian. From Wiki:
"Bardon is best known for his critically acclaimed text, A History of Ulster. The book examines, in detail, the cultural, social, economic, and political arenas of the province, beginning with the early settlements and progressing linearly to present-day Ulster.
"He has also written numerous radio and television programmes on the subject of Northern Ireland. Most recently he was commissioned by BBC Radio to create a two hundred and forty-episode series entitled A Short History of Ireland."

So, pretty good tour guide. He gave us an illustrated 10-page handout with the history of the sites we visited. Here’s how it started:
"Upper and Lower Lough Erne, its islands and the countryside surrounding, formed one of the most stable and peaceful kingdoms in medieval Ireland. The picturesque limestone landscape and the absence of large industrial developments ensure that County Fermanagh is one of the most attractive parts of the island for exploring evidence of the past."

Devenish Island is one of the highlights of the tour.

Back to Bardon: “Stone Age farmers and Bronze Age people left behind burial chambers, stone circles and cairns. The county is especially well endowed with Early Christian churches, enigmatic stone figures, monastic sites and ecclesiastical stone carvings.”
The Lough gave entree to Vikings, Normans, and the English to conquer local chieftains and tribes, so different cultures are reflected.

The Vikings did a lot of damage in the years 800 to 1000, roughly. The round tower was erected in the 12th century for obvious reasons. “The conical cap peaks at 81 feet above ground and immediately beneath it is a frieze bearing four human masks, all but one with a luxuriant growth of moustache and beard. Experts are impressed by the high quality of the stonework.”
A 15th Century cross in the cemetery:

I should mention my camera was acting up so all photos were on my phone. All imported files from my phone resist being rotated into the proper orientation.
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