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Historians date the Carndonagh high cross to the seventh century, making it one of the oldest of its type in Ireland. This early Christian relic is a red sandstone slab cut out in the shape of a cross, and engraved with a rich, low relief that mixes Celtic artwork and Christian iconography. The west face is completely covered with a Celtic interlacing, while the east face depicts a crucifixion scene. Quite surprisingly, the crucifixion scene is placed on the shaft of the cross rather than its head. Typical of Irish crosses, Jesus is not depicted as suffering or defeated, but rather erect and triumphant. Two small, separate pillars frame the cross, decorated with various characters, such as David with his harp and a large warrior believed to be Goliath. Today, the cross and its pillars are a National Monument of Ireland and can be visited freely in Carndonagh, Inishowen.

Saint Patrick's High Cross, Carndonagh. Wall mount.

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.

Burt Castle, Inishowen, Co. Donegal.

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

Westbank Loyalist Mural 1980, Fountain Estate, Derry City.

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