#corbelling

The Gallarus Oratory is yet another stone structure here in county Kerry. It is pretty amazing how these structures have been preserved that well here. I purchased tickets to see the oratory, after some confusing over where the oratory actually is, I finally was on my way to see it. There is a path from the visitor center to get to the oratory itself. It is a short distance from the visitor center but far enough for people not to be able to see it from afar. After all, you need to create a demand for your asset if you intend to make money off ticket sales.

One of the more interesting sights here along the Slea Head drive is the Gallarus Oratory. I saw a photo of the oratory and I decided that I would be visiting this place. There were signs pointing to the Gallrus Oratory along the way so it was easy enough to find the place. There was a large carpark here at the place which makes this place look like a very well visited place. There is a visitor center here to purchase tickets but they seemed to be more intent on selling tickets rather than assisting visitors. After purchasing my tickets, I was left wondering where to go.

I was quite surprised at the extent of the beehive huts at Fahan. Officially called clochán, the huts are quite similar to the huts found on Skellig Michael. I was surprised to see one almost as extensive as the one on Skellig Michael. The clochán are made of stone and they typically use the same method of laying one stone on top of another called corbelling. The stones slightly extend from the stone underneath it and eventually meet on top to form a roof. The stones are also slightly inclined downwards to keep the water away from the interior of the hut.

The beehive hut in county Kerry seems to be a signature architectural style here. The most famous ones are probably the clusters in Skellig Michael, but that doesn't mean it was the only one. Apparently, there was another one in the mainland and it was in the Dingle Peninsula. The Slea Head driver provides a perfect way to explore the peninsula. The beehive hut is actually hidden behind what appears to be a house. It seems that they struck gold by having the huts near their place. I don't know if it is legal to own such prehistoric structures but they charge an entrance fee for it.

The most eye catching part of the monastery of Skellig Michael are the beehive shaped structures. These are actually the dwelling places of the monks. Through the monks' skill in cobelling, they laid one stone after another slowly forming a dome shape. The stones were laid in such a way that the bring moisture outside the hut. The result is a waterproof structure which has withstood the test of time. The huts have little doorways to let the occupants in. Understandably, the doors were quite small to keep away the element. I don't know if there was ever a door here, if there was, it is long gone now.

The monastery at Skellig Michael is the highlight of the trip to this remote island. The monks built a monastery on top of this island to get away from the rest of the world as monks tend to do. There were extensive works done here to make this place habitable. The top of the island wasn't flat. It had to be leveled by the monks with retaining walls to retain its shape. These formed terraces which structured can be built. The main area of these terraces features multiple structures which evoke the feeling of beehives. This is probably why they earned a place in Star Wars filming.