Off to Ireland
for more Thin Places
Saturday, February 10, 2007
I leave on Valentines for ten
days in Ireland to do complete
research for a book.
The book, entitled
Thin Places - a Pilgrimage through
Celtic Holy Ground has been
in the works for more than seven
years now. Originally it was to be a
compilation of writings from authors
all over the world - covering Celtic
holy sites in Ireland and Britain.
Though we had authors with
unparalleled knowledge and talent,
we ran into difficulties with
publishing.
I've made the decision to finish the
book this year myself with a
slightly different slant one being
that it will only cover sites in
Ireland.
One of the sites I'll be visiting is
Caldragh Cemetery on
Boa Island in County Fermanagh
(Northern Ireland). It is there
that the two-faced Janus figure has
been watching the rising and setting
of the sun for more than 2000 years.
My personal journey with this Janus
figure is complex. I once told an
Irish priest that he was two-faced.
I think he was amused by my insult
because he gave me a miniature
version of the Janus figure that
he'd purchased in Ireland shortly
after I made the comment. It had two
fronts - that is each side of the
figure had a face, shoulders and
arms.
I was intrigued by the figure and
did a little research on it. This
actual Janus figure is between 2000
and 3000 years old and stands about
4 feet high in Caldragh Cemetery, an
ancient burial ground on Boa Island
in Northern Ireland. The figure
stands so that one side faces East
and the other West. Some say the
figure represents an all seeing -
all knowing God that sees everything
from the rising to the setting of
the sun.
 The
first time I went to Caldragh
Cemetery I arrived alone at
approximately 6:30 am hoping to
photograph the figure during
sunrise. This was more than ten
years ago, when the cemetery was not
well marked and one had to climb a
fence and walk across private
property to find the entrance. I was
a little uneasy about trespassing,
but found the path and continued
towards the cemetery. I heard this
odd sound - like a thumping -
something beating. Just before the
gate to the cemetery is a massive
thorn tree which spills over the
path, threatening the visitor who
doesn't enter carefully.
Coming into the cemetery at dawn was
was surreal. The mist was rising off
the lumpy, ancient, unmarked graves.
Old stones that appeared to have
once been grave markers were
scattered across the yard. In the
center of the cemetery, the Janus
figure dominated. In front of the
figure was a woman, seated, thumping
an Irish bohdran (drum). I felt I
was intruding on her spiritual
exercise. After awhile I simply
walked into the cemetery and
proceeded to shoot some photos
during her ritual, hoping not to
distract her too much. She
eventually stopped and we talked for
awhile. She was from France but
lived in Chicago. Through her thick
accent she told me that a friend of
hers had given her a necklace (which
she displayed from around her neck).
It was silver with a small charm
which was the Janus figure. She said
after receiving the necklace, she
became more curious about the Janus
figure, found out where the actual
figure was located and traveled here
from Chicago for a real life
encounter.
Hmmm... similar reason to why I was
there.
Years later I returned to Caldragh
with my husband. By then the
cemetery was clearly marked with a
public road and pathway making it
easier for visitor access. Next week
I'll be going for a third time... a
third encounter with the Janus
figure.
OTHER SITES TO VISIT:
I'll also be visiting Cashel,
Achill Island, Knock, Mount Brandon,
Dingle, Clonfert, West Cork,
Wexford, Tara and more. Stay
tuned.
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