Paintings

Ian Fleming

watching from the dawn

The “Lebor Gabála Érenn” (the Book of the Taking of Ireland) written down by monastic scribes in the 11th – 14th centuries records the history of Ireland as told by Tuán Mac Cairill. It is recorded that “Jesus gave to him in his sin that he spent…” 100 years as a man; 300 years as a stag deer; 100 years as a wild boar; 300 years as a lonely bird and 100 years in the form of a salmon. In this way he was able to relate the stories of Ireland from the time of the biblical flood.

Tuán was the only surviving member of the ‘Parthalons’ – the Greek race who first conquered Ireland. In the form of the Salmon he was caught and served whole to the Queen, who as a result conceived and the child born was Tuán.

The central shape in the painting is a detail from the modern day gates at the Tara site – the “entrance” to the stories.

light in the dark places

It is recorded that all of the invaders of Ireland had to fight the Fomorians, “underworld spirits”… a race of ferocious seafarers. Their leader “Balor of the Evil Eye” whose angry gaze could destroy anything he looked upon was finally defeated by his own son-in-law Lugh of the Long Hand, a deity and Dé-Danann king. Lugh the sun god defeats the darkness by the use of magical weapons.

The painting contains references to the Spear of Victory; the Cauldron of Plenty; the Harp of the Daghdha among the ‘scraped’ solar symbols which are carvings from the passage tomb at Tara. The concentric circles at the top of the painting from which light bursts are derived from the main sun symbol in the tomb. The light flows out towards the eye across a landscape which was inspired by the sun shining on the black polythene covering of a hay bail at Tara. The light symbolically enters the cornea of the eye and is split by the “lia fail” or stone of destiny which stands at Tara today – a symbol of sovereign power.

she lies down in green pastures

The stories of Tara concentrate predominately on male figures, however, a number of “earth mother goddesses” are important at Tara. The fire goddess Brighid is a daughter of the father-god Daghdha and later becomes synonymous with the Christian figure of St. Bridget.

Brighid had powers over the gifts of poetry, healing and the fires of the metal workers. She is principally associated with the festival of Imbolg. Winter recedes, lambs are born and milk begins to flow – this celebration of the “lactation of the ewes” is held at the beginning of February.

The dramatic colours of this painting with the milky white ‘earth mother’ draped across an emerald landscape heightens the sense of warmth and protection given by Brighid’s crimson ‘cloak of fire’ as she and the father-god bring bounty to the spring.

the roots grow deep and hold strong

Maeve is a goddess in the early legends who takes many forms – symbol of sovereignty, embodiment of feminine sensuality or power hungry queen. The oral tradition still holds that Maeve ruled as Queen at Tara, however, the writings of the monastic scribes downgraded her to a provincial queen.

She appears in the epic saga of the Táin Bó Cuailnge or the Cattle Raid of Cooley. The painting features Maeve whose hair is rooted in the earth, a cattle trailer that Fleming ‘met’ on the hill of Tara and the brown and white bulls from the saga. Try as they might the scribes could not remove Maeve from the record as sovereign – the roots run deep and are apparent in the nearby ‘Rath Maeve’ less than a kilometre from Tara.

in the half light of the moon

The story of Diarmaid and Grainne throws light on many universal themes… the magnetic attraction and force of love and the nature of its changing phases. Grainne unwittingly agrees to a proposal from Fionn Mac Cumhail – champion of the royal warrior army, but unknown to Grainne, Fionn at that time was an old man. At the betrothal feast Grainne meets Diarmaid reputedly “the best lover of women” in the world and falls in love.

Initially Diarmaid resists the suggestion of eloping realising that they would be “hunted the length and breadth of Ireland”. However, Grainne leaves Tara through the gate near an Grianán and Diarmaid vaults across the ramparts (represented in the painting by the prongs of a hayturner) using his spear, embracing danger and demonstrating his love..

Fionn eventually brings about Diarmaid’s death as prophesied in an encounter with a wild boar. In a bizarre twist Grainne unites with Fionn in order to prevent her sons from trying to avenge their father’s death.

otherworld_underTheWorld

Ireland is a land famous for its faeries and the “little people”. These figures from the underworld were originally the Tuatha Dé Danann defeated in battle by the Milesian invaders. In legend the Milesians were Spanish and may correlate with some of the celtic peoples from the Iberian peninsula thought to have settled in Ireland.

The painting features a series of twisted/knotted Celtic type spirals inspired by a rusted ‘chain harrow’ Fleming found overgrown by grass at Tara. The yellow female figure portrays Teá… a Spanish princess whose request to be buried on the most beautiful hill in Ireland is the reason Tara holds her name Mur-Teá. Teá’s house or rampart. The ‘otherworldly’ figures represented in the paintings were inspired by a group of archaeology students ‘measuring’ the land at Tara… though its hard to measure the connections between this world and the other world which doesn’t always leave itself open to be surveyed.

theTHREADS_generation[s] of power

The link between Europe’s largest Nuclear power station on the banks of the Loire River, France and the so-called ‘Mound of the Hostages’ at Tara, may at first glance seem tenuous. “Niall of the Nine Hostages” - the first Uí Néill king of a dynasty that began a ‘bloody’ and violent 600 years of rule at Tara is the connection. Although the painting doesn’t portray his face… he is signified through the aggressive, militaristic nature of the prongs used for handling haybails on the front of a tractor that Fleming encountered in the fields at Tara.

Massive electricity pylons which march across the countryside are an allegorical device in the painting intended to trace the flow of power down the generations through which the Uí Néill’s claimed to be ancestors of the Celtic Kings who had ruled at Tara for a thousand years. The origins of the Celtic identity are to be found in the Germanic regions of central Europe… though many mistakenly consider ‘Celtic’ to be exclusively ‘Irish’. Niall who held hostages from the lands he ruled is reputed to have died on the banks of the Loire River. (St. Patrick is said to have been brought to Ireland by him as a slave)

aSAINT_the turning of Tara

when the sun sets …where goeth the crown?

Brian Boru brings about the end of the Uí Néill dynasty when Malachy II abdicates “I surrender you this sceptre and this crown which my ancestors for so many generations bore.” The annals record 142 kings who ruled at Tara… the mound in the centre known as ‘The King’s Seat’ has a house of straw bails upon it 7 rows wide by 4 rows deep by 5 rows high making a total of 140 Kings and 2 haybails in the foreground… a total of 142.

Malachy had reigned for 22 years, when Brian took over in 1002 AD he ruled for 12 years until his death in 1014. Malachy then re-assumed the High-Kingship for another 12 years until his quiet death in 1022. The Uí Néill’s didn’t elect another king and Brian Boru’s son Donnchadh laid claim to the title. However, he died as an exile in Rome 1064 and it is said, bequeathed the sceptre and crown of his father to Pope Alexander II.

You the viewer are left to contemplate the symbolism of the rolled up trouser legs and to ask where goeth the crown?

reflected glory_crowned by the flowers of ‘98

In the intoxicating decades at the end of the eighteenth century, the ideals of republic inspired common people in the cause of rebellion and revolution. The flags of freedom and equality that were raised in France and America gave hope to many Irish peasants of lifting the oppression under which they lived. This drive for independence – unique in that it brought catholic and protestant together as “United Irishmen”, culminated in the doomed 1798 Rebellion.

At the Battle of Tara on May 26th 1798, “Brave Molly Weston”, inspired in Fleming’s painting by fellow artist M. O’Rourke fluttering a polythene bail wrapping in the wind at Tara is reported to have led “the most daring and obstinate resistance” and came close to breaking the British ranks. However, the defeat of 4,500 United Irishmen by 500 Crown forces was due more to local aristocrat Lord Fingal sending 3 cart loads of whisky among the rebels – the intoxication of revolution?

Molly and her 4 brothers died alongside 1000 of their comrades. The hayleige bails have ‘orpine’ flowers in front of them, to echo a practice among soldiers… carrying flower seeds with them so that if they fell in battle their families could come in the following springtimes to the battlefield and perhaps locate the place of their demise. Why Orpine? …it is said to combat the “King’s Evil” and is still used by people today to heal cuts and abrasions.

M. O'Rourke

The Royal Hill of Tara

Spiritual, legendary, mystical and potent are all words which describe the Royal Hill of Tara. The enclosure with its hills and mounds reveals its history and power to all those who wish to take the time to research the area and return with its legendry figures to a time long ago when Tara of the High Kings was considered the center of Ireland.

The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) still standing today on top of the hill at Tara is said to have roared when the rightful king was crowned.

Entrance to the Mound of the Hostages

The Mound of Hostages, possibly the oldest and most sacred of the monuments on the hill of Tara, takes its name from the medieval Irish designation of the monument Duma na nGiall a name associated with the tradition of exchanging hostages to keep the peace. (Niall of the Nine Hostages) While the ruling kings did exchange hostages they were usually treated as sons and lived with the king.

The carving on the portal stones which is 5,000 years old was carved by the ancient craftsmen and represented the sun, moon and stars, and were possibly used as part of a calendar or may have other religious meanings. Cremated remains have been found under the flagstone floor of about 200 people, dating back at least 3,500 years.

the roots grow deep and hold strong

The powerful influence of the druids was very evident at festival times, control of fire, earth, wind and water and other elements. They presided over the main festival’s which were: Samhain, (start of winter); Imbolg, (onset of spring); Bealtaine, (summer time); Lughnasa, (harvest time).

They also exercised their powers of divination in deciding between regal candidates and oversaw inauguration ceremonies. They read nature’s signs for farming and advised the king on appropriate times to do battle. Their power was both feared and respected.

Etaín and Midhir take flight in the form of swans

Étaín and Midhir take flight in the form of swans

King Eochaid in order to convene the Triennial Assembly at the festival of Samhain (the start of winter) was required to have a wife. He wished for a beautiful woman who had not been known to any man in Ireland. Étaín was such and came to Tara to become his queen. She retained no memories of living in the ‘otherworld’ with her lover Midhir who tricked the king into allowing him to claim one kiss from his wife. King Eochaid fearing that he might lose his wife encircled his house with warriors. As Midhir kissed Étaín her memories came flooding back and as the king raged the two lovers floated in to the air and changed into swans and flew away joined together by a golden chain about their necks.

The Milesian’s Invasion

The invader’s leader Amorgen, at a pre arranged meeting at Tara with the Dé-Danann kings gave them a choice - to give up the kingship of Ireland or face the might of the Milesians in battle.

The Milesians led by Amorgen landed at Inver Sceine (Kenmare Bay Co. Kerry) having overcome the powers of the three Dé-Danann kings, Mac Greine (Power of the Sun); Mac Ceacht(The Plough); Mac Cuill (The Sacred Hazel). The Milesians had used their own mysterious powers to defeat the spiritual and magical control that the Dé-Danann held over sea.

Amorgen’s Promise to Eiru

The Naming of Ireland. After the invading Milesians landed in Kerry - the Dé-Danann army led by Eiru, wife of the king, Mac Greine (Power of the Sun) fought a battle on land. Eriu and her army were defeated in battle and she was mortally wounded. As Amorgen the leader of the Milesians tended to the dying Eriu, he saluted her courage by promising that the island would forever bear her name. (Eiru, Eire, Eireann)

Mid-winter Solstice at Tara

The chamber in the mound of hostages is lit by the full moon at harvest (Lughnasa) and by the rising sun during both winter and spring solstices. The carvings on the entrance stones are said to have been used to determine when certain festivals should begin. In druidic lore these sacred stones were thought to have the power of the elements and the spirit of the ancestors. The mound’s chambers were said to be ‘gateways’ by which to pass between this world and the ‘otherworld’.

Tuatha Dé Danann arrival in Tir na nÓg

The Tuatha Dé Danann were overcome in their final confrontation with the Milesian’s on the plain of Teltown north of Tara. In keeping with their god-like and spiritual nature the Dé Danann did not wish to leave Ireland forever. By agreement the Milesians would rule Ireland and they would rule in the Otherworld.

Otherworld – a supernatural realm which is placed in a number of locations - underground or across a stretch of water or on a mythical Island such as Tir na nÓg.

Tir na nÓg or Land of Youth, was considered as the last refuge in times of trouble for many of the ancient Irish peoples.

Tuan in the form of The Salmon of Knowledge

Tuan Mac Cairill is said to have lived for at least one thousand years and to have witnessed much of our history. He lived as a man and then in the form of a stag deer, a boar, an eagle, and finally as a salmon (the Salmon of Knowledge) He was caught by a fisherman and brought to the king’s fortress. The whole salmon was eaten by the Queen and she then conceived a baby.

This child was Tuan reborn again into the world as a human. He was able to recount all the various events and invasions that had happened. His knowledge was used by the first scribes who wrote down many of the tales and legends of Ireland.

The Fairy Fort

Fairy trees and fairy forts are still regarded today as special places. Legend tells us of the return of the Tuatha Dé Danann as fairy folk in times when the two worlds both spiritual and natural celebrated certain festivals. They are said to have all sorts of power and to have interfered with many events and caused mischief where ever possible. The eve of Samhain or Halloween was the night that fairies opened their forts to move to winter quarters. Trouble would befall any mortal who ventured abroad on that night.

Quotation: W.B. Yeats

THE STOLEN CHILD
Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim grey sands light
Far off by farthest Rosses
We foot it all the night
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight