Old Rathmichael Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Cache Description
The cache is a lock-and-lock lunchbox-style container. The area is somewhat overgrown and is unfortunately inaccessible by wheelchair. Because of tree cover the GPS signal quality may be poor in the immediate vicinity of the cache. You will not need to interfere with any graves or ancient monuments to find the cache.
Access
This cache is not easily accessed by public transport, being approximately 2.5 km by road from the nearest bus routes (45 or 84 at Shankill church) or 3.5 km from the 44 or 63 at Kilternan.
To approach the cache, you will need to turn off Rathmichael Road at N53 14.229 W006 08.882 and head up the laneway.
When you arrive at the white gates (N53 14.076 W006 08.829), you may choose to either park your car at this point and continue on foot, or drive on up. Please take care if your vehicle has low clearance. Either way, please make sure you do not block access to either gate and close the gates behind you both entering and leaving.
History and notable features
The eastern slopes of Carrickgollogan, tranquil as they may seem today, were in more warlike times laid waste by many bloody battles and skirmishes, thanks to their location at the much-contested boundary between the flat plain of Dublin and the hilly lands to the south. For three centuries the O’Byrnes and O’Tooles, exiled to the Wicklow Mountains from their rich lands of Kildare, sustained a campaign against the Crown forces, the southern outposts of which were the castles at Bray and Shankill, and later at Old Court and Shanganagh.
The area today is rich in the relics of such times in the form of castles and tower houses, as well as ancient raths and a partially-built round tower. Other monuments of historical interest include prehistoric wedge-tombs and early Christian crosses.
At the cache location, you are standing in the middle of a very large (100 m diameter) rath (an ancient fortification consisting of 3 concentric encircling earthen banks, surmounted by stone walls and probably also a palisade of pointed wooden poles).
Nowadays, however, you may find it hard to make out any trace of the rath’s boundaries, the outline of which in the furze-covered mounds will be obvious only to the trained eye (a second rath further up the hill at N53 13.727 W006 09.144 is far easier to appreciate). Turner points us to “a small portion of stone wall to the SW”, while Canon Scott (writing almost 100 years ago) tells us that “The gateway will be easily recognised, nearly due east of the church”. (Look for two large stones hidden in the furze just outside the modern gate of the graveyard).
This rath was thought by Canon Scott to have been the stronghold of a certain bishop (and prince) Aengus MacTáil, descendant of King Aengus of Munster, hence the name of the locality: Ráth MhicTáil -> Rathmichael. If this is so, the site is very early indeed, since MacTáil died of plague in 550 AD. By around the 7th century, possession of this strategic site was transferred to the church, and a church and monastery were built here. The parish of Rathmichael became an important independent ecclesiastical centre and remained so the arrival of the Vikings.
The nearby harbour of Dalkey became a Danish stronghold at the start of the ninth century – the plunder of Glendalough occurred in 830. In the intervening time we may suppose that the monastery at Rathmichael was attacked, its thatched roofs and wattle buildings burned and its treasures carried off. In response to such attacks, the monks rebuilt in more durable stone, and began, but never had the chance to complete, a Round Tower, the stump of which now stands beside the church.
When I was growing up in the area, this feature was known as the “Skull Hole”, because of the human remains that it contained, and needless to say it exerted a certain morbid fascination on us as children. Presumably the reason was that gravediggers who came upon old graves while preparing new ones, were in the habit of tossing the bones into the tower. It has since been cleared out and so you need have no worry about what you may step on if you climb down into it!
A well-constructed souterrain (underground passage) was also described “running to the NW”, but has never been explored. The present ruined church was in use until the middle of the 17th century, and the chancel arch is said to have collapsed around 1852. The graveyard continued in use until modern times.
Today the remains consist of the south wall and the gable end, the pointed window of which points to a Norman (14th century) style of architecture. Attached to the south wall are mysterious stones, carved with “cupmarks”, radiating lines and other markings. Despite these pre-Christian forms of ornament, and the absence of cross markings or inscriptions, they could be gravestones from the earliest Christian times, or pre-Christian artefacts re-used as gravestones.
References
Much of the historical information in the description was taken from the following sources:
F.E. Ball; “History of Co. Dublin” (1902), of which the relevant chapter may be found here
Kathleen Turner; “If You Seek Monuments - a guide to the antiquities of the Barony of Rathdown” (Rathmichael Historical Society, 1983)
Canon George Digby Scott; “The Stones of Bray” (Hodges, Figgis, 1913)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
zvqqyr bs lrj
Treasures
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