Éireann85: My Irish Image LairShop

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Éireann85: The LairShop I Did on my Vacation

I first visited Ireland (both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland) while studying in Dublin during my third year in college in 1984-85. I did a certain amount of traveling while there, most notably to prehistoric and megalithic sites. I forgot to bring my 35mm. camera with me, alas, on an extensive class trip around Tara and Newgrange; vowing not to repeat this mistake, I made sure I packed it on every weekend trip thereafter, especially to sites of archaeological and cultural import. For years after that, though, my film photos of hillforts, dolmens, and the Giant's Causeway on the Antrim coast languished in photo albums; and I racked my brains trying to figure out a way to share them with others.

Éireann85 was the result of this quest, focussing on out-of-the-ordinary shots of Celtic and Neolithic sites, and geological landmarks (though I do have one fairly convincing shot of an Irish rainbow). It was 21 years later that I finally made my second visit to Ireland (March-April 2006), in which I tried to visit and photograph as many archaeological sites, and play fiddle in as many trad music sessions, as I could--especially those places I didn't get around to the first time. Both Éireann85 and our expanded LairShop, The Lair of Cards, include images from this more recent journey. I hope you enjoy these images and related products; and that you will feel inspired to pay a visit over there very soon...

The above photo, by the way, is a dolmen in the Carrowmore Neolithic Cemetery complex just a few miles outside of Sligo town, County Sligo. It was a dark and stormy day when I climbed into the farmer's field to shoot this noble structure (with the permission of the farmer, who, along with many of his neighbors, was out liming his field on said dark and stormy day). It was wet and windy as all get-out; but I still managed to get some pretty good pics, before fleeing to a roadside pub for a hot whiskey-and-lemon...

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UPDATE (WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9, 2009): Look for the LairShop Eireann85 to be upgraded to a Premium shop in the not-too-distant future! We just have to complete the upgrades of Artifacts of the Lair and The LithicLair, now that my laptop's finally back from the shop...

Dolmens, Ruins and Irish Rainbows on CafePress 

Our favorite products and images at Éireann85

Strike quickly on these! This LairShop will soon be updated for Spring '09; and new images and products will replace a few of these classics...

Neolithic Mandala 2.25" Magnet (10 pack)

Our Neolithic Mandala, an original polymer clay ornament featuring authentic Neolithic European motifs of the life cycle and four elements, on magnets! How prehistorically cool is that?

Price: 15.99Buy Now

Irish Rainbow Mousepad

This is an actual Irish rainbow, photographed during the stormy Easter weekend of 1985, on a canal cruise in County Westmeath. No gold, alas, but this might help your mouse a bit!

Price: 12.50Buy Now

Giants Causeway Mug

Classic shot of Giant's Causeway from April 1985, with waves crashing on clustered basalt columns. Sip some Irish tea and transport yourself to this geological treasure on Ulster's Antrim coastline.

Price: 11.99Buy Now

Irish Cascade Tote Bag

The top of a waterfall in County Wicklow, one of the rare ones that Ireland currently has, since most of her mountains were flattened in the last Ice Age. Taken in winter 1985. LairLogo on reverse.

Price: 14.50Buy Now

Carrowmore Dolmen White T-Shirt

A portal tomb (dolmen) in the Carrowmore Neolithic complex, taken on a blustery March 1985 afternoon outside Sligo town. Enjoy, and be glad the camera was not blown out of my hands! LairLogo on back.

Price: 20.99Buy Now

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Eireann85: Some LairLinks 

The LairShop itself, and some of the lovely places that produced it.

Éireann85: Our Irish LairShop
Visit the complete LairShop while you're here.
Discover Ireland: Official Website of Irish Tourism
What Bord Fáilte is up to these days...
The Giant's Causeway Website
The most popular place to visit on the Antrim coast.
Megalithomania.com
Your one-stop resource on Irish megalithic monuments and related sites.
Visit Northern Ireland
Discover the incredible beauty and hospitality of Ulster and its people!
All About the Aran Islands
I guarantee you, one day per island is never enough! You'll fall in love with all of them upon arrival.
The Session.org
A leading resource on Irish music sessions. Help keep traditional Irish music alive!
Kari's Lair: Home of the Virgo Folkie
Official Homepage of the LairMistress.
The LairShops Beckon
The new blog for our Cafepress LairShops.
The Lair of Cards
Premium LairShop with expanded collection of images from our most recent Irish adventures.
Archaeological Digs in the United Kingdom and Ireland
About.com resource for anyone craving archaeological tech experience in Ireland and/or the U.K....

Éireann85's Featured Lenses 

All Irish-Themed, of Course...

Some New Irish Feeds 

A 'mixed grill', if you will...

Here's a new RSS source yet--a LiveJournal community blog known as "Eirearchaeology". We'll give it a spin, and see if it gets updated regularly...

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My Video Slideshow of the Giant's Causeway 

Includes our more recent images...Éireann06, I guess...

This is our first video slideshow with onsite audio included: on my visit to the Giant's Causeway, near Bushmills, Co. Antrim, in April 2006, I took a fair number of digital photos, along with some digital audio commentary in between slippery steps in stormy weather. More audio-enhanced slideshows of Irish landmarks and prehistoric sites are planned for the near future...
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How Ireland May or May Not Be Bookmarked 

How does one bookmark Ireland, anyway...??

Irish Online Galleries 

How others have captured Ireland on film.

Check out this compilation of Ogham stones from across Ireland! This oddball linear script has been deciphered; its context and purpose...well, that's still being debated.

Ogham Stone by leppre

Ogham Stone

Ogham Stone (ancient celtic writing) by amanderson2

Ogham Stone (ancient...

Ogham Stone #1 by pamramsey

Ogham Stone #1

Ogham writing on standing stone by WordRidden

Ogham writing on sta...

04- Ardfert Ogham Stone by Loz Flowers

04- Ardfert Ogham St...

The cloistered walkway by Jelly Dude

The cloistered walkw...

theoghamstone by TdeB

theoghamstone

face in the arch by pamramsey

face in the arch

Ogham Stone #2 by pamramsey

Ogham Stone #2

Ireland - Kilmalkedar Ogham stone by wmshc_kiwi

Ireland - Kilmalkeda...

Ireland - Kilmalkedar Ogham stone by wmshc_kiwi

Ireland - Kilmalkeda...

irish stone by susansimon

irish stone

Ogham stone by adactio

Ogham stone

Copy of ogham stone infa by Didds

Copy of ogham stone...

automatically generated by Flickr

Irish Prehistory and More on Video 

New Youtube Feature: a Megalithic Compilation!

Here are some recent videos of several types of Irish megalithic structures: Ogham stones, ringforts, crannogs and court cairns.

A Selection of the Ogham Stones Still found in Ireland today

Runtime: 310
171 views
0 Comments:


Ogham

Runtime: 322
1034 views
8 Comments:


The teachings of the Stones

Runtime: 554
119 views
2 Comments:


LoughCrew Megalithic Cairns, Meath, Ireland. 4000BC.

Runtime: 350
1299 views
2 Comments:


Loughcrew Equinox - Ireland

Runtime: 228
3081 views
11 Comments:


Megalithic art at Loughcrew and Fourknocks

Runtime: 1361
1699 views
6 Comments:


Ring Fort Parapet

Runtime: 101
175 views
0 Comments:


Craggaunowen - Crannogs ring fort Ireland

Runtime: 165
341 views
1 Comments:


Dun Aonghasa, the stone fort on Inishmore.

Runtime: 234
89 views
0 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Guests of Éireann85 

Visit our Irish LairShop, and Tell Us About It

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Stone Circles and Other Irish Scenes on Amazon 

New feature: Vikings and other Norsefolk in Ireland!

Like the videos above, this collection is about a topic I researched during my undergraduate study in Dublin in 1984-85. My Norse ancestors definitely got around, and built a number of walled cities while they were at it...

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/15/2009) Buy Now

Ireland & New Zealand

Amazon Price: $1.99 (as of 12/15/2009) Buy Now

The Vikings In Ireland (Exploring)

Amazon Price: $15.95 (as of 12/15/2009) Buy Now

Check Out Ireland on eBay 

New feature: Some of the new travel/lodging deals in Ireland!

I want to own a cottage like these somewhere around Galway one of these days...

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So this is a Squidoo lens. I've heard a certain amount about them, but this is the first time I've leaped in and given it a try. I am the LairMistress... (more)

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