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Just a little post to say Happy Brigid’s Day to

Just a little post to say Happy Brigid’s Day to you all, and thank you for everything over the past year. ❤️I’m so excited for the Spring and all the wonderful things that come along with the changing of the seasons! It’s been a crazy 12 months since Brigids day last year, and I’m so excited for what this year will bring 🌱Le grá
Shelly#láféilebríde #brigidsday #brigidscross #imbolc #imbolg #irishhistory #irishcountryside #irishmythology #irishfolklore

‘Long you slept in your ring of stone, Watched o

‘Long you slept in your ring of stone,
Watched over by hill and mist.
The earth a shroud round ancient youth,
The skies an unchanged wish.
Whose hands did last yours hold? We ask,
Whose name did once you bear?
I wonder how they’d feel to know
That still, today, we care.’Lately I found myself pondering again about the cremated youth that was found during archaeological excavations at the Drombeg Stone Circle.They were laid in the centre of the circle with some fragments of pottery, and sadly we know almost nothing else about them. I have wondered so many times what kind of circumstances led to such an important burial. Were they loved? Were they someone of importance? Did they die naturally? Or were they perhaps put there in some kind of ritualistic sacrifice?My mind aches to know, as it does with all of our ancient archaeology. But until some new source of evidence appears, I’ll just have to be content to fill the gaps with poetry.Have a lovely evening everyone.Le grá
Shelly

Thoughts from a rainy Cahergall Stone Fort, Co. Ke

Thoughts from a rainy Cahergall Stone Fort, Co. Kerry. We often speak of history as something that happened in a text book or a documentary, but sometimes I find myself remembering that the ones that came before us were every bit as human as we are. Flawed and sometimes cruel, but also hopeful, nuanced, and occasionally wise.It’s an incredible thought, that over millennia they paved the way to the world we live and love in today. I hope that if we’re still here in a thousand years, we will have forged an even better future for the ones that come after us.Have a lovely week everyoneLe grá
Shelly#cahergallstonefort #history #humanity #irishhistory #ancienthistory #ancientireland #archaeology #irisharchaeology #ringfort #historycommunity #historylovers

Hello everyone, a simple little painting for you t

Hello everyone, a simple little painting for you tonight, based on the Haroldstown Dolmen 🌕A moonlit portal tomb, illuminated by torches. Perhaps thousands of years ago the people of Neolithic Ireland buried their dead by the light of flame and moon. Whether or not it ever happened, we’ll likely never know, but it’s quite the atmospheric scene to imagine!This particular dolmen is said to have offered refuge to a family during the famine in the 1800’s, and is a favourite site of mine that I plan to write about properly in the future.I hope you’re having a peaceful evening my friends.Le grá,
Shelly

Happy New Year everybody! It’s hard to believe t

Happy New Year everybody! It’s hard to believe that the first day of 2023 is already coming to an end. 2022 was quite an adventure for me personally - beginning with very poor health that challenged me all the way into the summer, and ending with a new baby and the best I’ve felt in years. I’m looking forward to getting out and climbing mountains this coming spring, and visiting all the places I couldn’t get to during the year.I’m also a bit shocked to be ending the year with 60 thousand followers! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I am filled with gratitude for all the support and so glad to have found so many new friends that share my love for this beautiful little country.This year will be the best one yet for Tales From The Wood - I’ve so many ideas and projects that I’m going to get cracking into and I can’t wait to share them all with you. Such exciting things ahead 🥰Have a wonderful evening everyone, athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léir!Le grá,
Shelly

Happy Winter Solstice everybody! Grianstad an Ghei

Happy Winter Solstice everybody! Grianstad an Gheimhridh shona daoibh go léir!Light and Dark hang in suspended balance, allowing us a brief pause and a breath before the longer days begin to return once more.In this liminal time I hope you can find peace and hope, and look forward to the brighter days ahead. That’s the wonderful thing about the changing of seasons, even when our human world seems filled with chaos, the natural world around us continues to change its colours, with no interference required from us. A reliable friend in a busy world.This is the wonderful Knockroe Passage Tomb in County Kilkenny that I have posted about many times before here on Tales From The Wood.Have a wonderful day my friends!Le grá
Shelly#knockroe #wintersolstice #solstice2022 #kilkenny #irishhistory #neolithic #megalithicmarvels #visitkilkenny #visittipperary #tipperary #ancienthistory #passagetomb #pagansofinstagram

Knockroe Passage Tomb. As promised, here’s the f

Knockroe Passage Tomb. As promised, here’s the footage from a visit last Bealtaine to this wonderful passage tomb in County Kilkenny. Mild, rainy weather is some of my favourite of all!The music is by a Scottish trio called Asian, who I’ve only recently discovered. Their music is absolutely beautiful, and this song in particular has brought tears to my eyes this week ❤️Further details on this magnificent monument are on my latest post.Le grá,
Shelly#knockroe #wintersolstice #solstice2022 #kilkenny #irishhistory #neolithic #megalithicmarvels #visitkilkenny #visittipperary #tipperary #ancienthistory #passagetomb #pagansofinstagram

Winter Solstice fast approaches, so I thought I’

Winter Solstice fast approaches, so I thought I’d put together a little post about one of my favourite passage tombs in Ireland - the Knockroe Passage Tomb in county Kilkenny.This is not one of the better known of our ancient passage tombs here in Ireland. Dating from the Neolithic, this wonderful monument is tucked away quite inconspicuously in the rolling hills of County Kilkenny, close to the Lingaun River. Access is very easy, as the site is really well maintained with a little gate to enter. Surrounded by hawthorn and panoramic country views, the atmosphere here is one of wild serenity.Knockroe has two passages, one to the east and the other to the west. The western passage is particularly interesting as it is aligned with the sunset on the Winter Solstice. I visited it for the Solstice last year, and though it was overcast, the event organisers brought a light that imitated the effect, allowing us to have a sense of what it would be like if the skies were clear.Knockroe is packed with Neolithic artwork, some in really good condition. There are around thirty decorated stones here, full of spirals and swirls that dance across the surface of the rock. Evoking the artwork of other passage tombs across Ireland and the wider world.Excavations have been led since the 1990’s here by Professor Muiris O’Sullivan of UCD. He was actually there last year for the Solstice event and gave a wonderful talk about the site in the lead up to sunset.This is a site that is well worth a visit, as is indeed the entire Linguan Valley. Packed with history and beautiful natural surroundings, its an area that lends itself to exploration and immersion in history.Im really looking forward to the Winter Solstice this year, especially with the cold snap at the moment. The gentle shift to longer days after the longest night is something I think we’re all looking forward to ❤️Le grá
Shelly

There have been quite a few new followers here in

There have been quite a few new followers here in recent weeks, so I thought I’d show you all the kind of work I get up to on Tales From The Wood. Eventually I hope to have all of the major mythological figures painted, and this coming year I will definitely be painting more of the men, with Lugh coming up next!Le grá
Shelly#irishmythology #irishfolkloreart #irishfolklore #mythologicalcycle #mythological #irishhistory #irishgoddess #irishartist #irishillustrator #folkloreandfairytales #ancientireland #celticmythology #ancientireland #mythologyart

2023 Tales From The Wood calendars have finally ar

2023 Tales From The Wood calendars have finally arrived! 🥳I’m absolutely delighted to share these with you guys 🥰 This year I have put two different calendars together - one with all of my most popular Irish mythology paintings and another with twelve magical ancient Irish sites to 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 2023.I’ve also put together some Winter Solstice/Grianstad an Gheimhridh greeting cards featuring my Newgrange artwork for anyone who might be interested in sending them to their loved ones this year.They’re all up on my website right now, link in bio @talesfromthewood - hopefully it won’t crash this time like what happened last year! 😅So much grá to you all, thank you for incredible the support throughout 2022. What a year it has been!All my love ❤️
Shelly

It’s been one of my biggest dreams for many year

It’s been one of my biggest dreams for many years to build a replica Fulacht Fiadh, maybe someday soon I’ll get around to it. All the fire and food must have made such an amazing atmosphere at gatherings held around them during the Bronze Age.Fulachta Fiadh are ancient wild cooking places that were used in Ireland during the Bronze Age. Scalding hot stones were put into the water to bring it to the boil so that food could be cooked. The one in the video is at the magical Drombeg Stone Circle in County Cork.Something about these sites fills my mind with inspiration for a story or a poem. Every detail from what was cooked to who was in attendance is such a fascinating scene to ponder over. Although I can’t say for certain, I’m sure that these ancient people loved a song and a dance just as much as we do today!Le grá,
Shelly

Hello everyone! A personal post this evening, to s

Hello everyone! A personal post this evening, to say a huge and sincere thank you to you all. I recently passed thirty thousand followers on here, and to be honest it’s hard to find an adequate way to describe how I feel looking at that number. Disbelief, gratitude and perhaps a little bewilderment are all mixed together with pure joy to have found so many friends that share my love for our beautiful, magical little land of Éire.It’s been almost three years since I started this page. Back then I had no plans or expectations, I just wanted a place to talk about the things I love, in the way that I love them. What surprised me was that so many others connected with my thoughts, my journeys and my art. A lot has changed in the time that has passed since then, my plans and dreams have shifted and matured, and life is finally starting to feel like I always hoped it would.Looking to the future, I suppose I still don’t have a plan! I want to write my book and make some music. It would be a dream come true to put a shape to what I am imagining and share it with you all. Also, now that my little boy has arrived safely, I hope to make time for more art. The pregnancy seemed to eat up a lot of my creative energy throughout the year so I really didn’t get to sit down and paint as much as I had hoped, but I have ideas that I feel good about now, and with luck I’ll have some windows of time between bottles and nappies to put them to paper!And so, thank you all. For all the wonderful conversations and inspiration. I’ve learned so, so much from the friends I’ve found here. Every day teaches me something I didn’t know before, and the collective wisdom in this community is an absolute privilege to witness. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store!Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir ❤️Le grá
Shelly