Five Irish "Piles of Rocks"
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By Pat O'Connor, Co-Author of Rick Steves' Ireland
A half-buried circle of jagged boulders punctures the moist Irish turf in front of me. Bouncing gently on the spongy cushion under my feet, I try to imagine the slowly rising tide of moss that will eventually submerge these stones. I look out over this peaceful chunk of rural County Cork and wonder how many other forgotten archeological treasures are buried just below the surface.
The people who built this stone ring 3,000 years ago had scrambled from a precarious hunter-gatherer existence into rudimentary farming practices, allowing them to stop wandering and cultivate food in a more efficient way. These early farmers discovered that they now had free time to do more than just survive. They spent this precious time dividend muscling these huge boulders into precise alignments. Their creation was a solar observatory to track the sun, ensuring their ability to plant crops on time and hopefully please their fickle pagan gods.
Suddenly, my quiet contemplation is broken as a frazzled tourist drives up. He rolls down his window and briefly glances out at the ancient stone circle. "Another pile of rocks," he mutters to his wife, and speeds off without further consideration. I wonder if he's headed to the Killarney Factory Outlet Mall to haggle a volume discount on a case of Leprechaun dolls.
Ireland's rural charms can be subtle. To avoid an insensitive "ugly American" attitude and get a feel for the historical richness of Irish culture, you have to learn to savor the countryside. Tune in to the immense human effort that went into the once-proud ruins you'll encounter. The people of these times didn't lead couch-potato lives, and only put energy into what they thought was necessary. Each ruin has a human story to tell.
Here's a slideshow of my five favorite Irish "piles of rocks."