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The Shanballyedmond Court TombIn the rolling foo

The Shanballyedmond Court TombIn the rolling foothills of the Slievefelim mountains, amidst the patchwork of fields and winding country roads of County Tipperary, lies the Shanballyedmond Court Tomb. This incredibly ancient tomb, which rests atop a small grassy hill, was constructed around 6000 years ago during the Neolithic period, and is really in amazing condition considering its age.Once the chamber would have been covered, but now it lies exposed, with the pointed, jutting rocks that form its skeleton reaching out into the sky. The tomb is in a U-shope, surrounded by carefully placed kerb stones that keep the whole thing contained. It would have made for a very impressive and imposing presence on the land at the time of its construction.Excavations at the site revealed the remains of six cremated burials, along with grave goods including arrowheads and pottery. One burial seemed of particular importance, as the cremated remains of a youth were found in a stone pit in the inner chamber.I made my way up here on a rainy day, and found it peaceful and quiet. A small car park contained plenty of informative signage, and it’s clear that the locals take great care of this ancient monument. I’d definitely go and see it if you’re in the area, there’s even a little table where you can sit with it for a while and clear your head.I hope you’re all keeping wellLe grá
Shelly

With the Winter Solstice approaching, and Newgrang

With the Winter Solstice approaching, and Newgrange about to light up with the rising sun, I thought I’d make a little post about the passage tombs of Ireland.We are blessed to have so many here in such good condition. Thanks in no small part to the superstitions in our folklore that ask us not to disturb them lest we anger the fairies, the sidhe, who dwell under the mounds.They are found not only in Ireland, but all over Western Europe and the wider world, which really shows us how connected and well travelled these ancient societies were.There is so much yet to uncover about these mysterious sites, and to learn about the people who built them. To walk among them is to walk in the footsteps of truly ancient people, and there is no greater privilege than to continue looking after them for the generations to come.The tombs shown in order are:
- Loughcrew: Cairn T
- The Mound of the Hostages
- Newgrange
- Cairn H: Carrowkeel
- Four Knocks Passage Tomb
- Seefin Passage Tomb
- Cairn G: Carrowkeel
- Newgrange Entrance Stone
- Carrowkeel
- Knockroe Passage TombI hope you’re all doing well this week. The cold is intense, as is the urge to get cosy and stay warm. Look after yourselves!Le grá
Shelly#passagetomb #irishpassagetomb #newgrange #seefin #carrowkeel #loughcrew #moundofthehostages #knockroepassagetomb #ancientireland #irishmegaliths #megalithicireland #mythicalireland #archaeology #irisharchaeology #neolithic #megalithic #megalithicmarvels #wintersolstice

2024 Tales From The Wood calendars are here! 🎉

2024 Tales From The Wood calendars are here! 🎉 But where has 2023 gone? 🤯This year I have once again put two different calendars together - one with all of my most popular Irish mythology portraits and another with twelve magical ancient Irish sites to accompany and inspire you throughout the year. They are available in singles or as a pack of two.Each calendar is bursting with colour, and filled with tales of Ireland's rich mythology and history, along with the dates of each full moon for 2024.I’ve also brought back the Winter Solstice/Grianstad an Gheimhridh greeting cards featuring my Newgrange artwork, as they were a surprise hit last year when I put them out 😄So much grá to you all, 2023 has been a wild ride for all of us, here’s hoping 2024 brings some good things our way 🙏Shelly x

I went out to visit Four Knocks Passage Tomb a few

I went out to visit Four Knocks Passage Tomb a few days ago, and as I stood there a plane flew right overhead. I was struck by how incredibly far the technological capabilities of human beings have come since it was built. And also completely fascinated by the thought of what those ancient builders would have said about it all.It’s almost like magic. And a fascinating thought.Le grá
Shelly#ancienthistory #neolithic #megalithic #megalithicireland #megalithicmarvels #connectedthroughtime #fourknockspassagetomb #fourknocks #neolithicireland #passagetomb #irisharcheology #archaeology #ancientireland

I've not been on here too much lately.We've been

I've not been on here too much lately.We've been watching so much darkness take place on our tired little planet these past few weeks and months. I've struggled desperately seeing all the images of little children being harmed, as I see my Ferdia's face on every single one of them, and find myself lost for words with grief at the thought of so many innocent lives destroyed.Then to see the violence and chaos that happened in Dublin this past week, it’s just horrific, and I’m so sad that we’ve reached this point.I sincerely hope we can begin to heal our broken world. All this pain and hatred is simply unsustainable for our psyches. There is so much for us to share and enjoy in the short time we get under the sun together. If we could only look back and learn from those who came before, and try to come together to leave things better than we found them for the ones who’ll come next.I truly hope that all of you are doing ok and looking after yourselves and your loved ones. So many things are so, so difficult at the moment. I really hope that there are better days ahead for us all.Here’s a photo of Four Knocks Passage Tomb, a site I visited last week as I tried to clear my head and reflect.Le grá
Shelly x

Ripening hawthorn watching over ancient stones.S

Ripening hawthorn watching over ancient stones.Samhain approaches, and a change has come over the land. The hedgerows are bursting with the fruits of a long summer, and the darkening evenings bring us back to our fires once again.I had the pleasure of visiting the Shanballyedmond Court Tomb in Tipperary last week, left to us by our neolithic ancestors some five thousand years ago.This site has been on my list for years and it didn’t disappoint. I’ll be sharing more of it over the coming days, but couldn’t wait to share this little clip with you all.Hope you’re enjoying this cosy season so far!Le grá
Shelly#shanballyedmond #tipperary #neolithic #neolithicireland #ancientireland #irisharchaeology #megalithicmarvels #megalithicireland #mythicalireland #hawthorn

Happy Autumn Equinox everybody. I can’t believe

Happy Autumn Equinox everybody. I can’t believe it’s come around already again - time slips away so quietly these days.This year, I decided not to paint a figure from mythology, but instead to pay tribute to an anonymous artist who walked these lands more than 5000 years ago. This painting is my interpretation of a Neolithic artist putting the finishing touches to his beautiful artwork on the equinox stone in Cairn T at Loughcrew, by the light of his tallow candle.This stone is the one that is illuminated by the rising Equinox sun, as it shines into the chamber and moves down the face of the stone, highlighting different parts of the artwork as it goes.Of course, we don’t know who really made this artwork. It could have been a man or a woman, an old or a young person, or maybe even a team of people working together! This is just the image that comes into my mind’s eye when I imagine the scene. The point is that it was someone of flesh-and-blood just like us. Someone who knew these lands as home, who had a family and a community, and who was every bit as brilliant and flawed as each of us.Shout out to my husband Kev for modelling the pose for me, and whose lovely face I used as the blueprint for this one.Light and dark are now balanced, with longer nights than days to see us from now until the spring equinox. It’s a beautiful time of year, that allows for reflection on the summer that has passed and the winter that beckons just ahead.Have a good one my friends.Le grá
Shelly

“Beneath the mounds where the old gods dwell And

“Beneath the mounds where the old gods dwell
And time stands dark and still,
Memories wrought from earth and stone
Join the land from hill to hill.The seasonal ceremony of the sun
And it’s passage through the tombs,
Sends a sign from the ancients to comfort us:
New beginnings are born from their wombs.”I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the yearly journey of the sun through our Neolithic passage tombs. And the incredible way that so many of them were designed by our ancient ancestors to mark the changing of the seasons in perpetuity.They are the messengers that carry the voices of those who built them through the passing millennia. It’s so poignant and powerful, to have the privilege of witnessing these events all these thousands of years later.New beginnings have always been a source of great comfort to me. Fresh starts and new chances to live our lives the way we’ve dreamt of. And I have long found the beginnings offered by the sites that hold alignments with solstices and equinoxes to be the best and most sacred of all.The Autumn Equinox will soon be upon us, and we will be passing into the darkness of the winter months. For many of us this will be a time to look inward. A time to reflect on what has passed, and to look forward at what we wish to achieve in the future. For me personally this will be a focus on writing. To put my thoughts and feelings into words and set them free into the world, whether that be through prose, poetry or song.I hope that whatever it is you’re striving to achieve, you can work to see it through to reality. I hope that your inspiration comes easily, and your endeavours are fruitful.I particularly hope that those of us who are worried about the state of the planet right now, and who are working to heal it, see a breakthrough soon. It would be wonderful to see things shifting into a more positive light, as I know I’m far from alone in my anxiety about the climate and the natural world. This is a cause I also wish to focus far more of my energy on going forward.Anyway, enough thoughts for tonight I think!Have a great week everyone ❤️Le grá
Shelly

Ballybrittas Portal Tomb.My heart is so full of

Ballybrittas Portal Tomb.My heart is so full of happiness to now be able to access this beautiful site in my home county.To know that it’s only a handful of kilometres from where I grew up brings me so much joy, because now any children or young people in the area who are interested in archaeology or prehistory won’t have to travel long distances to visit a megalithic monument like I did when I was younger.It’s such a wonderful step forward, and I hope the first of many of its kind. The future seems bright today and I sincerely hope that by allowing the next generations to access their heritage in this way, they will in turn become wonderful custodians who will love and advocate for their heritage.Definitely put this one on your lists my friends. Just remember that if you visit the site, please have respect and leave no trace. Let’s ensure that it stands for another 5000 years to come 🤎Le grá
Shelly#ballybrittasportaltomb #ballybrittasdolmen #wexfordhistory #ancientireland #irishhistory #ancientwexford #archaeology #portaltomb #dolmen #prehistoric #neolithic #neolithicireland #breehill

Sitting out at the Knockmahon Ogham Stones on Wate

Sitting out at the Knockmahon Ogham Stones on Waterford’s Copper Coast.I’ve always loved this little pair of stones ( the other is just in front of me out of frame). They were discovered in the 80s and 99s buried underground at the nearby promontory fort. Maybe they were part of the fort itself at one point, but they were moved to this little artificial mound after their discovery where they now stand side by side overlooking the sea.The markings look so fresh, probably because they were hidden from the elements for so long, and it’s easy to imagine the hands that carved them so long ago as you sit in their presence. I love that they are companions that have spent the ages of their existence together. It seems poignant and beautiful that they have been lovingly kept by each other’s side.I hope you’ve all been well this past while. I still cannot believe that the summer has already begun to come to an end. The evenings are truly beginning to darken now, and winter beckons like an old friend. As always, life has been busy lately. I feel like I’ve hardly had a moment for creativity but everything is moving along nicely for the most part. I’ve been singing a lot, something I had kind of backed away from recently, and it might be time to bring out some instruments again and see if I can draw out a tune.Have a lovely week friends.Le grá
Shelly

Ballybrittas Portal Tomb, Co. WexfordI’ve been

Ballybrittas Portal Tomb, Co. WexfordI’ve been so excited to share this with you all! This stunning 5000 year old dolmen has just been opened up to the public in my home county of Wexford. It’s the only site of its kind available to the public in the county, and it’s a beauty 😍The trail to the dolmen is about 3km in length and takes you on a very peaceful and scenic route through the woods. I’m actually so excited, and this will now be a regular haunt of mine. I’ll do up a full post in the coming days and share it with you all.A huge thanks to the Department of Rural and Community Development and Wexford County Council for facilitating the trail to the site on Bree Hill. It’s so wonderful to be able to walk out to it, and I’m delighted that it happened in my lifetime ☺️If you do visit the site please make sure to leave no trace and treat it with respect ❤️Le grá
Shelly#wexford #breehill #ballybrittas #ballybrittasdolmen #dolmen #portaltomb #neolithic #irishhistory #ancientireland #neolithicireland #neolithic

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about Loughcrew lately. And the Cailleach, who’s cold dominion over the land draws closer as summer slowly reaches its end.Maybe it’s the rainy weather we’ve been having, but winter feels as though it’s stirring in its sleep amidst the empty, harvested fields outside my window.I’m not wishing the time away quite yet though, as we may still have some warm sunny days ahead before she arrives.Now back to work with me!Le grá
Shelly#loughcrew #ancientireland #passagetomb #neolithic #cailleach #wheeloftheyear