Opinione dettagliata di LovesTravel
LovesTravel
Stati Uniti98%
I have to say right up front that Himself and Yours Truly did not lodge at Ballymascanlon House or eat in its restaurant. We were there for one reason and one reason alone--to see the Proleek Dolman, which is part of the property. We did wander the grounds and the public rooms, and they were perfectly lovely. It's a place we would love to try if given the opportunity. But for us, and for the purposes of this review, the Proleek Dolman was and is the subject at hand.
For those who love to touch the stones of mankind's ancient past, Ireland's Cooley Peninsula is bound to please. When we visited in late spring 2003, we were on our way north to the Giant’s Causeway. So it seemed altogether appropriate that we take a side trip to view the Proleek Dolmen, which is known locally as The Giant’s Load.
Geographically, the Cooley Peninsula is a small protrusion of land extending into the Irish Sea along Ireland’s eastern coast. Located about half way between Dublin and Belfast, it lies just south of the border between the Republic and Ulster. Our map showed a number of Neolithic and Mesolithic sites in the area, plus significant medieval remains in the coast town of Carlingford. Thus our objective was nothing less than to enhance our visit to Ireland with a few more doses of standing stones, castles, and ancient churches.
Of the several prehistoric sites on Cooley, Proleek Dolmen was the most accessible. Located on the grounds of the Ballymascanlon HOuse Hotel and adjacent to its highly acclaimed parkland golf course, visitor access is facilitated by means of a signposted footpath from the hotel carpark. The path is gentle, though one should keep a lookout for stray golf balls—especially those still in flight!
Once at the end of the path, visitors are greeted with a view of one of the most photographed dolmen in Ireland. Resting precariously atop a tripod of standing stands is a huge boulder, its estimated weight ranging from 30 to 46 tons, this Dolmen easily earns its local name, which claims that a Scottish giant named Parrah Boug MacShagean actually lifted the capstone and set it in place. Measuring 3.2 by 3.8m, the stone’s domed roof is covered with a scattering of small stones—the result of another local legend. The two versions we encountered maintain that anyone tossing a stone that remains in place atop the "Load" (1) will marry within a year or (2) can expect to be on the receiving end of good fortune. Given the dolmen’s immediate proximity to a golf course, and being married to a golfer, I had no trouble guessing what many of those wishes might involve!
The Proleek Dolmen is believed to be the remnant of a 5000-year-old portal tomb. The two entrance stones face northwest, and the damaged third stone forming the rear "wall" of the chamber has been reinforced with modern concrete and local stones. The small chamber under the capstone would have been the burial site for an important individual within the ancient community that once lived here. Such a chamber was often associated with a cairn or tumulus that formed a much grander monument, but in this instance, no evidence of a larger structure has been found.
Nonetheless, what remains is spectacular in its own right and is well worth the effect required to reach it. The 3-meter-high dolmen must have taken great effort to construct, with details on raising the capstone provoking a mystery for the ages. If you should visit this site, take the time to wander around it several times and to view it from all angles. Then explain, if you can, how a Neolithic community managed this feat.
In addition to the dolmen, the Proleek site includes a wedge tomb (or gallery grave) with two roof stones still intact. The wedge tomb is not nearly as spectacular as the dolmen, but it is just as remarkable in its own right. Wedge tombs are generally smaller and of more recent construction than portal tombs, dating from end of the Neolithic period (4000 to 4500 years ago). Here as elsewhere, the chamber of the tomb resembles a large box that sat low to the ground and likely served as communal burial site. The structure was covered with flat stones, then by a low mound. As the mound eroded over the centuries, the tomb itself was revealed.
Visitors to the Proleek site really should, as we did, take a few minutes to wander the public rooms and grounds of the Ballymascanlon Hotel and golf course. The Hotel complex consists of the gracious Victorian-era Ballymascanlon House, plus a newer structure that quietly bespeaks its more recent Best Western affiliation. Still, the local stone used in the construction give even the newer building more charm than it might otherwise enjoy. Ballymascanlon House itself, where the pro shop is located, will be a must stop if you have a golfer in the family. The grounds include mature lawns and plantings, plus a number of the stately trees—some of the largest we saw in Ireland. All in all, it creates an inviting atmosphere rest, relaxation, and golf. It's on our list for places that deserve a return visit.
- LovesTravel/BawBaw/DAnneC
Ballymascanlon House8
