Tinryland - A Neolithic Inheritance
by Bernadette Scott
The parish of Tinryland has featured in the local and national news
throughout 1999 because of the public debate on the location of the
Carlow by-pass. The parish also featured in the news in the middle of
the century when a significant archaeological discovery was made. In
1944 a local farmer ploughing a field in Linkardstown discovered a
megalithic tomb containing the remains of a woman. The tomb also
contained a polished stone axe and decorated necked vessels. Other finds
like this were made throughout Leinster and Minister and are known in
archaeological terms as Linkardstown Cists.
Why this spot was chosen as
a burial site is unknown but it does indicate that the early inhabitants
of this landscape were creative and artistic people and held a deep
sense of place. Everyone has a sense of place and this comes from the
way we think about places, how we identify ourselves with them and the
local character of a place. A sense of place can come from the social or
natural features in the landscape. Viewing a landscape or the features
in a landscape is not a value-free exercise. Our perception is
influenced by past experience, expectations and motivations. Therefore,
any place will have different representations for different groups and
individuals. We interpret a landscape and its meaning by relating it to
our own personal framework.
The landscape in the parish of Tinryland is
a product of its past character in that it has been shaped by human
activity over the years. The countryside and the features of it were
developed to meet social and economic needs. The character of the area
has evolved out of a need to provide shelter and livelihood for its
people using the local materials, which include fertile agricultural
land, an abundance of granite, local skills and traditions. So the
features in this landscape as in any other reflect the interaction
between nature and culture. Many changes have taken place in Tinryland
over the past century and many changes are envisaged in the next
century. However, in the midst of the changes and improvements to the
quality of life for the community, we are in danger of losing the
intimacy with the landscape and the features of it.
One of the main
threats is that the parish may be developed into a suburb of Carlow
town. The parish is also in danger of losing its unique character due to
the dominant cultural values of beautifying the countryside in the
cosmetic sense because the wild and natural are unacceptable and the
cultivated and structured are. Consequently, we are witnessing the
urbanization of rural areas. So bit by bit, year by year we are
destroying in the countryside that which attracted us to it in the first
place. The landscape in the parish of Tinryland has many features which
give the area its unique character. These features are part of the
social history of the area. One of the many features which distinguishes
the place for me is the roadside pump. The roadside pump has a nostalgic
quality because it reminds people of childhood days spent in the
countryside. The pump with its cow-tail handle - which is a distinctive
feature of Irish public pumps - is protected by four concrete pillars.
While the County Council maintains these pumps, no register exists
making it difficult to ascertain when they were installed. The pumps
were constructed out of necessity as they were an important source of
water for the local community. They are found all over rural Ireland and
were first introduced after the Great Famine. Although Tinryland was one
of the first rural areas to have electricity under the rural
Electrification Scheme in 1946, there was no running water in some of
the houses until 1972 when the County Council's water and sewerage mains
were provided to facilitate the housing scheme in the village. So the
pumps were widely used for domestic purposes in the recent past. The
protective pillars are the interesting feature. The stones surrounding
this pump are an example of the work of a traditional stone craftsman.
This rural craft has vanished but it informs the work of modern
sculptors.
There are six granite pillars surrounding the pump -
originally there were eight. These granite pillars are a unique feature
of the Carlow pumps mainly because of the abundance of granite and the
local skills and knowledge. The vertical granite pillars are called
cliffs - the horizontals are called lintels and were placed in an
octagonal shape on the ground. The granite is an indigenous material
which probably came from a nearby field or quarry. The process entailed
the cleaving of the granite by a stonecutter using the traditional tools
of picks and wedges. The stone was then dressed by a stone-dresser using
a chisel and hammer and put in place by a stone mason.
The likelihood is
that, in this case, the whole operation was carried out by one person. I
am attracted to the arrangement and pattern of the complete installation
and I put forward the following explanation. The eight stones were
arranged in a circle around a central figure (the pump). This is one of
the oldest religious symbols; the earliest is the sun wheel. This symbol
is found in different cultures throughout the world and is used to form
the solar calendar. In this case there are two circles - one vertical
and one horizontal resulting in a harmonious arrangement. The layout of
the stones and the pattern it forms suggests to me that this is not a
random arrangement but is an example of a spiritual dimension, albeit
held at a subconscious level, which is inherent in the work of all
craftspeople.
It is also an example of how a previous generation of
people worked in harmony with the landscape and produced work of
artistic merit. Other examples are standing stones and rock art which
are found throughout County Carlow. This community pump with its
protective pillars is now a sculpture in the landscape but was not
originally constructed as such. It was installed for a purpose but has
marked the character and uniqueness of this area. There is much debate
about art in public places and Carlow has many fine examples of modem
public sculpture. However, it is important to be aware of the art and
craft which connect us to the past.
The pumps are a feature of Tinryland
and it is hoped that they will remain here and not in a museum or
heritage centre. They may not be considered of major monumental
significance but are relics of rural domesticity and are part of the
social history of the twentieth century. The stonework surrounding the
pumps presented an opportunity for artistic expression for the local
craftspeople. The creative and spiritual dimension in the work reflects
the interaction that the earliest inhabitants had with this landscape
going back to the Neolithic period. This is what makes the parish of
Tinryland a unique and special place.
References: Aalen. F.H.A. Kevin Whelan. Matthew Stout, (eds.) (1997).
Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork University Press.
Source: Carloviana - 1999 Millennium Copy
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