On our way from Knockdrum Stone Fort to Drombeg Stone Circle you pass through Glandore. Glandore is right on the water at Glandore Harbour, a picture perfect spot with several restaurants that overlook the water and a great view. We chose Hayes’ Bar as it seemed quite crowded inside, usually a sign the food is good. Was it ever. Hayes’ Bar is an upscale restaurant in kind of a quirky space. It has a large local following and serves great food. I had the seafood pasta in above picture and it was filled with fresh caught seafood perfectly cooked. As always, homemade brown bread accompanied the meal. The day was a bit chilly or we would have taken advantage of the outdoor seating.
Gorgeous day with gorgeous views as we looked out over the inlet. Right across from the Bar is a garden put in and maintained by the locals. It is on quite a steep incline but their are benches to sit on as you enjoy the view and the quiet. Lovely spot and not on the beaten track. I think we were the only tourists there that day.
We followed directions to Drombeg Circle from Glandore. Just a short distance by car.
“Drombeg is probably Irelands most famous stone circle, it is a recumbent circle with the recumbent or altar stone lying to the south-west. The circle consists of seventeen pillar stones that are graded from the two large portal stones, each 2 metres high, at the north-east towards the recumbent stone. The pillar stones are local sandstone and the recumbent has two cup marks and what looks like an axe -carving on it’s upper surface. Towards the centre of the image left are two stones, male left, phallic shaped and the female right lozenge shaped.” excerpt from Megalithic Ireland http://www.megalithicireland.com
Drombed Stone Circle is set in the rolling hills of the Irish Countryside with distant views of the water. The Ancient Irish chose to locate their sacred sites on high points where the stars, sunrises and sunsets were easily seen.
This is a cooking site for the ancients. Heated stones would have been placed in the water basin and then wrapped meat would have been added to the heated water to cook.
Water was channeled to the cooking site to make the process less labor intensive.
Although you can’t see any tourists in these pictures, the site was quite crowded that day. My husband suggested I might have been a trifle pushy about getting photos without people. I just politely asked people to move and they were obliging. That’s my version and I’m sticking to it.
If you want the site to yourself, go in the early morning before the tourists are out and about.
These Ancient Sacred Sites are imbued with a sense of suspended time. The less crowded the site, the better your chance of tuning in to that feeling that ties you to the past. Beauty, serenity, quiet in the midst of the Ancient Irish — what more could you ask?