An Grianan of Aileach, Inishowen, Co. Donegal

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Handcrafted, highly detailed plasterwork An Grianan of Aileach. Looks, feels and weighs like genuine stone! Handcrafted plasterwork An Grianan sculpture, measuring approx. 8″ across, 3.5″ high. weight: 1.4kg The origins of the Grianán of Aileach fort are dated back to 1700 BC. It is linked to the Tuatha de Danann who invaded Ireland before the Celts and built stone forts on top of strategic hills. They worshipped Dagda (the Good God) and he too is associated with the origins of Aileach. It was he who ordered the building of a stone fort to act as a burial monument to his dead son. The round fort is built largely without mortar. The interior has three terraces and wooden structures were built against the terraces to provide accommodation. The outline of Bronze Age or Iron Age ramparts can be seen below the fort. Legend states that the giants of Inishowen are lying sleeping but when the sacred sword is removed they will spring to life reclaiming their ancient lands. It is thought that St Patrick visited the site in the 5th century and baptised the local chieftain, Eoghan (from whom Inis Eoghan gets its name), here. To view more pieces please visit our store at Mini Inish

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Dimensions - 4.5" high, 3" wide. Plaster/acrylics   The Sheela na gig, which translates as Julia of the Breasts', is believed to represent the surviving Pagan Goddess, interrelated with fertility and protection against evil. Some theories propose that these carvings were the work of unruly sculptors paying homage to 'The Old Ways' in a time when Christianity was firmly taking hold. These enigmatic grotesques have been found throughout Western Europe, though the greatest number have been discovered in Ireland. They are often found over doorways, in order to convey safe passage within. Some academics believe the exaggerated vulva represents the Primordial Gate between life and non-life in this respect. This representation is based on the artefact discovered at Cloran, Westmeath, in 1859. It is believed to have been carved in the 12th Century and now resides among the Witt Collection at the British Museum in London.
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Westbank Loyalists Mural 1980, Fountain Estate Derry. Dimensions: 12cm high, 12cm wide, 4 cm deep. This iconic mural, found in the cityside Fountain Estate in Londonderry, has been relocated and repainted several times since its first appearance in the early 1980s. The original artist is unknown, but the message contained in the composition remains a strongly held ethos in the community to the present day. The origin of the message can be traced to the ‘exodus’ of up to 10,000 cityside Protestants who moved to the Waterside area and beyond, representing approximately 90% of the Protestant population in the Westbank relocating due to fear and intimidation between the volatile years of 1969 and 1974. The Fountain stands alone as the sole Protestant estate on the Westbank, and often suffered sectarian attacks throughout the years, even having to be gated at night for security during the tumultuous 1980s. This sense of isolation remains strong in the community, and has materialized as a defiant, proud identity evident on every street in the estate. The ‘No Surrender’ slogan originates from 1688, when 13 Apprentice Boys shut the city gates on 1200 Jacobite soldiers, thus setting in motion the beginnings of the famous Siege of Derry which would last 105 days. This representation is of the mural during its location on a garage wall in Wapping Lane during the 1980s, it is presently painted on the rear of a house and visible from many aspects from the overlooking City Walls. It has since become a widely recognized symbol of Loyalist defiance and pride. See less
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Finecast plasterwork Burt Castle atop an Inishowen Coastline base. Dimensions: 7″ X 7″ X 3″. Tabletop ornamental piece. Burt Castle, also known as O’Doherty’s Castle, was constructed between 1560 and 1580. It was a traditional stronghold of the O’Doherty’s during the reign of Henry VIII, overlooking and protecting the Southern edge of their Inishowen Lordship. The castle’s design is typical of the Scottish Z-Plan fortification structure, a defensive design that would be replicated during the Ulster Plantation in the following century. In 1600, while Cahir O’Doherty was in allegiance to the Crown, there was a garrison of 100 men stationed in the castle under the captainship of John Vaughan. This aided the Derry Governor, Henry Dowcra, to strengthen an offensive position against Red Hugh O’Donnell during the Nine Years War. O’Doherty, however, fell out of favour with Dowcra and Burt Castle became O’Doherty’s headquarters, from where he orchestrated and carried out the Burning of Derry on April 19th, 1608, sacking the entire town and taking prisoners to be held at the castle. Thus began what became known as O’Doherty’s Rebellion, resulting in Crown troops being sent from Dublin to quell the unrest in Inishowen and overrun Cahir’s positions. Burt Castle fell to the Crown following a violent siege and O’Doherty was killed shortly afterwards while fighting Crown Forces in the Battle of Kilmacrennen, he was 21 years old at the time of his death. His severed head was displayed for a time at Newgate, Dublin, as a warning to potential avengers. The castle was also the site of violent skirmishes during the Williamite Wars between 1688-1691 and as with most Irish castles, Burt is said to be haunted. It is said that an O’Doherty Nobleman who lived in the castle seduced a young local woman and forsook her upon news of her pregnancy. She waded into the Swilly one moonlit night and drowned herself and her unborn child, so distraught was she at this rejection. It is said that she can be seen on moonlit nights, walking the shores of the Swilly near to the Castle, wailing in despair for her estranged lover and father of her child. Burt Castle now sits atop an eminence known as Castlehill, a silent, dilapidated sentinel overlooking the main Derry to Letterkenny road, making it one of Donegal’s most recognizable fortifications.
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