And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
A woman and girl walk through a honeycomb of stone walls to get water from a pump, Inishmaan, the Aran Islands, 1971
I cannot imagine how rocky the soil must have been for the ancient Irish. If it had been me, I would have given up, boarded a ship and headed to America.
I spent some time on Inis Mor the larger of the 3 Aran islands, but my last visit was 40 years ago so I'm sure things have changed. The big attraction was Dun Aengus an ancient stone fort which sits on a high point of the island overlooking the Atlantic 700 feet below.
the ruins in the background look quite old. i can imagine how nearly impossible it would have been to heat one of those stone houses. but it would be slightly warmer and dryer than outside.
People have no idea how much sheer human misery it took to build those walls out of stone boulders split and hauled by hand from the fields contained therein.
My thinking is rocks in the gardens have to go somewhere, or no one likes their neighbors
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine how rocky the soil must have been for the ancient Irish. If it had been me, I would have given up, boarded a ship and headed to America.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, the choices. Pile rocks, or become an indentured servant.
Deleteshe could have been 4 times as much water in a wheeled cart, if she had a wheeled cart
ReplyDeleteI spent some time on Inis Mor the larger of the 3 Aran islands, but my last visit was 40 years ago so I'm sure things have changed. The big attraction was Dun Aengus an ancient stone fort which sits on a high point of the island overlooking the Atlantic 700 feet below.
ReplyDeleteI was there recently. It hasn't changed. No cars. Lots of horses and buggies.
DeleteMight just be the last place in Alba that isn’t globohomo, who knows these days.
ReplyDeleteCollecting rain water off the table?
ReplyDeletethe ruins in the background look quite old. i can imagine how nearly impossible it would have been to heat one of those stone houses. but it would be slightly warmer and dryer than outside.
ReplyDeletePeople have no idea how much sheer human misery it took to build those walls out of stone boulders split and hauled by hand from the fields contained therein.
ReplyDelete