Located near the town of Kenmare in County Kerry, Ireland, the megalithic wonder known as the Uragh Stone Circle rests upon the green grasses of the rugged Beara Peninsula.
This attraction is off the beaten path – since it doesn’t usually appear in tourist pamphlets, many people miss the dazzling beauty and peaceful aura of this unique locale…
Those who do seek out the Uragh Stone Circle are rarely (if ever) disappointed…
The five stone slabs of this manmade ring formation lie close to a steep cliff… just over the cliff’s edge, scenic Lake Inchiquin appears as a serene expanse of muted azure blue.
Ceremonial Spaces…
The mysterious origins of Celtic stone circles are a subject of fascination for many historians, who believe the circles were only used for rituals of a spiritual nature.
It is unusual to find the ruins of forts or other dwellings near Irish stone circles – instead, ring stones tend to stand separate from other structures that were a regular part of the daily lives of the Celts.
It is quite probable that these stone circles were used for sacred ceremonies…
Megalithic Art
The use of sizable stones in art began in the Neolithic Age and carried on throughout the Bronze Age.
Sometimes, stones were adorned with meaningful symbols, such as spiral shapes, which are believed to indicate life-force (and the human journey through birth, death and spiritual rebirth).
At the stunning Newgrange Passage Tomb (at Newgrange, Ireland), burial stones were engraved with patterns that were later adopted by the artisans of medieval Ireland.
These Middle Ages craftsmen, who usually doubled as Irish monks, used spirals and other ancient designs to decorate stone Celtic crosses, illuminated manuscripts, and ornate metal work.
Megalithic art uses scale to provide intense visual impact – silhouettes, such as the five ring stones of Uragh Stone Circle, stand starkly against the shifting sky – each change in light, from sunset to sundown, provides a new backdrop and a new mood…
Getting There
To experience the Uragh Stone Circle, with its huge alignment stone and smaller accompanying slabs, you should probably invest in a good pair of gumboots, as you will need them to do a fun (but muddy) trek up a hill.
However, your journey to the ring stones should begin in Kenmare town, where you will need to drive across a bridge on the roadway to Glengarriff, and then hang a right.
You will see a sign for Castletownbere – stay on this scenic stretch of road for about seven miles, until you hit a crossroads – shortly afterwards, you will find a road on the side that takes you to the ring stones…
Experience Megalithic Symbolism…
The Tara’s Diary Shamrock and Spiral Charm combines a touch of Megalithic spiral symbolism with the charm and beauty of the Irish Shamrock.
Crafted of fine sterling silver and a glittering green gemstone, our handcrafted charm is made right in the Emerald Isle.
The expertly crafted spiral bead is the perfect complement to an open-work Shamrock with a round gemstone center.
Ideal for any woman with Irish heritage, this Tara`s Diary Collection Charm is bound to become a sentimental favorite…it also makes an affordable, yet impressive Christmas gift.