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Dysart O’Dea Day Tour
Connecting with the presence of place
Dysart O’Dea is a quaint, rural parish in the county of Clare, but despite its small size, it has an incredibly rich history and serves as a perfect sample of Irish history and archaeology.
As it is my home parish, I have a particular appreciation for the wonders that lie within its history and the significance it holds to the wider area around it.
Dysart shows a continuity of existence from ancient times to the present day through a variety of monuments.
Following the covid pandemic, I began to lead walking tours with a focus on the local area and Dysart became a popular favourite, as people began to feel its peaceful, calming allure.
We will visit a variety of sites including ancient ringforts, an early Christian monastery, and a high cross and round tower. FUrthermore, we will jurney on a medieval road that’s on the very first maps, a secluded peaceful haven from the busy world.
The walk concludes near the modern-day Catholic parish church where the Hedge school and the old national schoolhouse are situated. There is very little left of the original monastic site here apart from the holy well known as Toberarraghta.
Starting with the ancient stone and earthen forts, we observe where our Iron Age ancestors lived. Some people find they can easily feel the energies and healing properties within these forts.
Moving forward in time, we journey into early Christian Ireland with the foundation of an early monastery mentioned in the Annals as having 3 Coptic monks buried here at Díseart Tola - the medieval name for Dysart O'Dea. The present-day church ruins are from a later period and there is a round tower, as well as the famous Romanesque doorway from the 12th century.
St. Tola is said to have founded a monastery here in the early 8th century, and we can also find St. Tola’s high cross standing proudly nearby, a beautiful example of a 12th century high cross with elaborate carvings. We are so blessed with a wealth of archaeology in the parish.
Continuing in chronological order, we have Dysart O’Dea Castle, which was reconstructed by locals in the 1980s and opened as a museum, highlighting the parish history. The castle was home to the ruling Chieftains of the parish and barony, the O’Dea clan. Hence the parish being known as Dysart O’Dea. The battle of Dysart O’Dea 1318, led by the O’Dea clan was a significant strategic win against the invading Normans, and serves as yet another stitch in this rich tapestry.
Moving forward to the 17th century, a troublesome and tragic period in Irish history, we have the Cromwellian plantations, the colonisation of Ireland, with wealthy protestant landlords taking large estates of land. Dysart was acquired by the Synge family, and today we can see the landlord’s mansion, the old brick lodge, and the soup school, used to try and convert the locals to the protestant faith at the height of the Famine. This period brought great tension, battles and even tales of attempted assassination!
Approaching the final leg of the tour, we journey on the medieval road that leads us to the earlier mentioned forts. This road at one time would have served as the main route to the county capital, the town of Ennis from North Clare and is shown on one of the earliest maps of this area. Nowadays, this ancient roadway is but a path and best suited for walking, an interesting insight into the evolution of transportation. Home to undisturbed greenery and wild flora and fauna, this road is an amazing tranquil, meditative walk before we finish the circle.
Emerging from the medieval path, we come to the modern-day St. Tolas parish church, passing the old schoolhouse on the way. We finish our tour with a visit to the holy well, claimed to have healing properties for eyes, where you can enjoy a crisp drink of spring water.
On this tour, I invite participants to connect with the land and feel the strong energetic presence at the various sites, particularly at the earthen fort, where I generally lead a group meditation session, allowing participants to feel the peace of this beautiful parish. Dysart, or Díseart in the Irish language, translates to Hermitage, meaning a place of peace and tranquillity. We can imagine this is the very reason, the Coptic monks chose to settle here so long ago, and it is something you most definitely will feel for yourself.
So, I invite you to join me on the day tour of Dysart O’Dea, and experience firsthand, the wonders, peace, and rich history it has to offer!
