Irish tour guides and magical dogs
I hope everyone had a lovely time with their deceased relatives on Samhain and/or the Day of the Dead. Remember, if you ignore them then there's always the risk of them yelling at you next year because you never call.
Now for the title of my entry. A few years ago I was researching ancient stone ruins in County Donegal (the northernmost county of Ireland) and I found this page about Kilclooney dolmen:
http://www.welovedonegal.com/kilclooney-dolmen.html
A dolmen is a prehistoric tomb made of some stones standing upright with another stone lying horizontally on top of them. To me, they often look like huge doorways.This particular dolmen was probably built during the 2000s B.C., making it roughly the same age as Stonehenge.
But enough about history.
As you can see on the We Love Donegal page, some people went to visit this dolmen in Kilclooney and met its tour guide:
"Don't worry about the noisy dog that will rush out at you all guns blazing! His name is Benson and he is the nicest dog and will accompany you all the way to the dolmen and back for the price of throwing a few sticks for him."
Go click the link, there are a couple of nice pics of Benson (who has a blurry tail for some reason) as well as the dolmen. :)
I was curious if anyone else encountered this dog. I found this blog of another visitor to the same ruins: http://www.laurelkallenbach.com/lkblog/?p=130
She was worried about all those cows with huge horns, blocking the way.
"At that moment, a black lab bounded through the fence, barking and nipping at the cows, who grudgingly yielded the path. I petted the wagging dog, my hero, then she began bouncing up the trail toward the dolmen.
"So I had a four-footed guide, who soon presented me with a reddish rock, dropped it at my feet and stared pointedly at it. On Ireland’s farmland, trees and sticks are scarce, so I picked up the rock and hurled it along the path. So began our game of 'fetch,' which lasted the entire half-mile walk to the dolmen: The dog got the rock (always the same one), carried it in her mouth back to the spot in the trail where I had advanced, and dropped it slobber-covered at my feet. I picked it up, threw it ahead and walked some more."
I don't know if the above is about a different dog, if the author didn't know its gender, or if it's a female dog named Benson. No matter: there are more pics on that site. Click it!
A reviewer on a tourism website also mentions the tour guide: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Ireland/County_Donegal/Donegal-296122/Off_the_Beaten_Path-Donegal-Kilclooney_Dolmen_Ardara-BR-1.html
"It is on the land of a farmer, who is well used to people visiting the Dolmen, just close the gate behind you and don't be afraid of the friendly dog that will lead the way for you!"
Above you can also see mention of the elderly lady who owns the land and kindly doesn't mind people visiting. Too awesome.
Oh also this: http://mulchman.org/blog/?p=81
"As soon as we got on the private land and trail that the dolmen was on, we were greeted by a black-ish dog that turned out to be our tour guide. He would eventually guide us right to the dolmen but only after we encountered some very deadly horses."
The same blogger explains the killer horses: "everything was going fine until the horses flipped out and started charging at us. These horses were crazy and out for blood. Amber enjoyed it greatly as one of the horses pinned me up almost against the dolmen with its deadly feet ready to kick my direction."
It's my understanding that horses are the non-aggressive type of herbivores and only lash out when their main defense (running) is not available -- and horses do also like to play. It's hard to tell in writing when someone is joking, so I was curious and a bit worried about these bloodthirsty horses.
Thankfully, this Amber's mother gives her version: http://www.failureiscool.com/?p=297
"As we walked through the damp, squishy field a dog came to show us the way… and then two horses showed up. One brown horse in particular plodded along and followed us all the way to the dolmen. Patrick was super eager to see the dolmen, so he hurried ahead of us ... and the horse went with him.
"By the time the rest of us got to the dolmen the horse apparently had Patrick pinned in place. Now you have to understand, Patrick is not an outdoors man - and he was a little freaked by the horse. When we all got closer the horse started playing a bit - kicking up his rear feet and running a big. Poor Patrick wanted to climb on top of the dolmen to escape!"
Click the link to see the horse!! Sounds like a tame horse, but yeah ... non-outdoorsy people might be a bit confused by their behavior. I have heard similar stories about other animals in Ireland -- mainly sheep, cows, and donkeys who love to meet new people (aside: donkeys also like to steal things from your pockets). They hang out in the fields all day; tourists would be an interesting diversion!
I think this dog is the same way, which brings me back to my intended subject.
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Ireland/North/Donegal/photo693681.htm
The above links to a large, lovely picture of "Kilclooney Dolmen lost in the county donegal with its guide on the left."
Notice that no matter how far away Benson is in the pictures, you can always see his tongue.
A set on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/donegalireland/sets/72157615940065860/
"The owners friendly black dog will no doubt be your guide for the price of throwing a few sticks for him." Specific pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/donegalireland/3387308007/in/set-72157615940065860
This was an amusing thread: http://www.headheritage.co.uk/headtohead/tma/topic/29532/threaded/363814
"One odd thing happened while I was waiting around. I was looking west past the tomb when I had a strange feeling. I turned around and there was a huge black hound looking down at me from the top of a nearby hillock. At first I thought it was a large rottweiler, but it had no brown upon its chest, so thought maybe it was a mastif or something. After staring at me for a few minutes it turned around and bounded off, disappearing down the other side of the hillock."
So then people reply to the post talking about big black dog legends and folklore and stuff. Eventually someone posted an explanation of the dog's true identity, referencing this link: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/39770
"Kilclooney Dolmen seems to be gaurded by a large black dog, at first I thought the dog came with some tourists who arrived but it turned out not to be theirs. The dog stayed with me until I left as it got dark. Next morning I arrived at 7am for sunrise and the dog was waiting at the tombs again. He seems quite friendly, certainly a bit more than the edgy bulls that were moving around the dense undergrowth like hippos in a pond."
This was a bit surprising: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/1276ba/
"Once you figure out how to park and find an entrance, which ended up behind a farmer's house, and whose black and white dog accompanied us for our walk out to the field (beware he loves to play fetch), you can finally reach the Dolmens by foot."
So, black and white? This was written only a year before the other stuff (2005), so who knows. It could be another dog who acts similar to Benson, or maybe Benson has white on him (I assume that that pic of him on We Love Donegal does not portray foaming at the mouth).
A much earlier blog entry, 2003!: http://www.whereisliz.com/telegrams/archive/2003_05_01_archive.html
"here's a few highlights [...] Meeting the coolest dog in Ireland, protector of the Kilclooney Dolmen, a 5000 year old stone structure."
It seems he has been around for a long time. If he's no longer there, I hope someone has taken his place!
So, is this canine tour guide custom common in Ireland? I don't know, but here's another one in County Clare: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/289161687/
"This beautiful border collie approached our car almost immediately after we pulled off the road on the other side of Carron Church. We were just driving towards the tomb and following the highway to see what we could see on our way through the burren, and spotted these church ruins.
"Anyway, this sweet dog greeted us, then proceeded to lead us back down the road to where the stone entry portal was for the church, hopped through, waited for us, and then led us right up to the church. Where he then got his head scratched and loved on for a bit, and we went into the church ruins. After a few minutes, the dog wandered back out and across the road, to the cottage across the road and right next to where we parked.
"I get the feeling she fancies herself the official "Carron Church" greeter and guide, and leads many a tourist from their cars back to the church entry and up to the church."
And all I had wanted to know in the beginning of my search was whether dolmens have any human remains in them.
Now for the title of my entry. A few years ago I was researching ancient stone ruins in County Donegal (the northernmost county of Ireland) and I found this page about Kilclooney dolmen:
http://www.welovedonegal.com/kilclooney-dolmen.html
A dolmen is a prehistoric tomb made of some stones standing upright with another stone lying horizontally on top of them. To me, they often look like huge doorways.This particular dolmen was probably built during the 2000s B.C., making it roughly the same age as Stonehenge.
But enough about history.
As you can see on the We Love Donegal page, some people went to visit this dolmen in Kilclooney and met its tour guide:
"Don't worry about the noisy dog that will rush out at you all guns blazing! His name is Benson and he is the nicest dog and will accompany you all the way to the dolmen and back for the price of throwing a few sticks for him."
Go click the link, there are a couple of nice pics of Benson (who has a blurry tail for some reason) as well as the dolmen. :)
I was curious if anyone else encountered this dog. I found this blog of another visitor to the same ruins: http://www.laurelkallenbach.com/lkblog/?p=130
She was worried about all those cows with huge horns, blocking the way.
"At that moment, a black lab bounded through the fence, barking and nipping at the cows, who grudgingly yielded the path. I petted the wagging dog, my hero, then she began bouncing up the trail toward the dolmen.
"So I had a four-footed guide, who soon presented me with a reddish rock, dropped it at my feet and stared pointedly at it. On Ireland’s farmland, trees and sticks are scarce, so I picked up the rock and hurled it along the path. So began our game of 'fetch,' which lasted the entire half-mile walk to the dolmen: The dog got the rock (always the same one), carried it in her mouth back to the spot in the trail where I had advanced, and dropped it slobber-covered at my feet. I picked it up, threw it ahead and walked some more."
I don't know if the above is about a different dog, if the author didn't know its gender, or if it's a female dog named Benson. No matter: there are more pics on that site. Click it!
A reviewer on a tourism website also mentions the tour guide: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Ireland/County_Donegal/Donegal-296122/Off_the_Beaten_Path-Donegal-Kilclooney_Dolmen_Ardara-BR-1.html
"It is on the land of a farmer, who is well used to people visiting the Dolmen, just close the gate behind you and don't be afraid of the friendly dog that will lead the way for you!"
Above you can also see mention of the elderly lady who owns the land and kindly doesn't mind people visiting. Too awesome.
Oh also this: http://mulchman.org/blog/?p=81
"As soon as we got on the private land and trail that the dolmen was on, we were greeted by a black-ish dog that turned out to be our tour guide. He would eventually guide us right to the dolmen but only after we encountered some very deadly horses."
The same blogger explains the killer horses: "everything was going fine until the horses flipped out and started charging at us. These horses were crazy and out for blood. Amber enjoyed it greatly as one of the horses pinned me up almost against the dolmen with its deadly feet ready to kick my direction."
It's my understanding that horses are the non-aggressive type of herbivores and only lash out when their main defense (running) is not available -- and horses do also like to play. It's hard to tell in writing when someone is joking, so I was curious and a bit worried about these bloodthirsty horses.
Thankfully, this Amber's mother gives her version: http://www.failureiscool.com/?p=297
"As we walked through the damp, squishy field a dog came to show us the way… and then two horses showed up. One brown horse in particular plodded along and followed us all the way to the dolmen. Patrick was super eager to see the dolmen, so he hurried ahead of us ... and the horse went with him.
"By the time the rest of us got to the dolmen the horse apparently had Patrick pinned in place. Now you have to understand, Patrick is not an outdoors man - and he was a little freaked by the horse. When we all got closer the horse started playing a bit - kicking up his rear feet and running a big. Poor Patrick wanted to climb on top of the dolmen to escape!"
Click the link to see the horse!! Sounds like a tame horse, but yeah ... non-outdoorsy people might be a bit confused by their behavior. I have heard similar stories about other animals in Ireland -- mainly sheep, cows, and donkeys who love to meet new people (aside: donkeys also like to steal things from your pockets). They hang out in the fields all day; tourists would be an interesting diversion!
I think this dog is the same way, which brings me back to my intended subject.
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Ireland/North/Donegal/photo693681.htm
The above links to a large, lovely picture of "Kilclooney Dolmen lost in the county donegal with its guide on the left."
Notice that no matter how far away Benson is in the pictures, you can always see his tongue.
A set on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/donegalireland/sets/72157615940065860/
"The owners friendly black dog will no doubt be your guide for the price of throwing a few sticks for him." Specific pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/donegalireland/3387308007/in/set-72157615940065860
This was an amusing thread: http://www.headheritage.co.uk/headtohead/tma/topic/29532/threaded/363814
"One odd thing happened while I was waiting around. I was looking west past the tomb when I had a strange feeling. I turned around and there was a huge black hound looking down at me from the top of a nearby hillock. At first I thought it was a large rottweiler, but it had no brown upon its chest, so thought maybe it was a mastif or something. After staring at me for a few minutes it turned around and bounded off, disappearing down the other side of the hillock."
So then people reply to the post talking about big black dog legends and folklore and stuff. Eventually someone posted an explanation of the dog's true identity, referencing this link: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/39770
"Kilclooney Dolmen seems to be gaurded by a large black dog, at first I thought the dog came with some tourists who arrived but it turned out not to be theirs. The dog stayed with me until I left as it got dark. Next morning I arrived at 7am for sunrise and the dog was waiting at the tombs again. He seems quite friendly, certainly a bit more than the edgy bulls that were moving around the dense undergrowth like hippos in a pond."
This was a bit surprising: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/1276ba/
"Once you figure out how to park and find an entrance, which ended up behind a farmer's house, and whose black and white dog accompanied us for our walk out to the field (beware he loves to play fetch), you can finally reach the Dolmens by foot."
So, black and white? This was written only a year before the other stuff (2005), so who knows. It could be another dog who acts similar to Benson, or maybe Benson has white on him (I assume that that pic of him on We Love Donegal does not portray foaming at the mouth).
A much earlier blog entry, 2003!: http://www.whereisliz.com/telegrams/archive/2003_05_01_archive.html
"here's a few highlights [...] Meeting the coolest dog in Ireland, protector of the Kilclooney Dolmen, a 5000 year old stone structure."
It seems he has been around for a long time. If he's no longer there, I hope someone has taken his place!
So, is this canine tour guide custom common in Ireland? I don't know, but here's another one in County Clare: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/289161687/
"This beautiful border collie approached our car almost immediately after we pulled off the road on the other side of Carron Church. We were just driving towards the tomb and following the highway to see what we could see on our way through the burren, and spotted these church ruins.
"Anyway, this sweet dog greeted us, then proceeded to lead us back down the road to where the stone entry portal was for the church, hopped through, waited for us, and then led us right up to the church. Where he then got his head scratched and loved on for a bit, and we went into the church ruins. After a few minutes, the dog wandered back out and across the road, to the cottage across the road and right next to where we parked.
"I get the feeling she fancies herself the official "Carron Church" greeter and guide, and leads many a tourist from their cars back to the church entry and up to the church."
And all I had wanted to know in the beginning of my search was whether dolmens have any human remains in them.