Castleruddery Druid Stone Circle – Wicklow
Standing by the portal stones at Castleruddery Stone Circle – Wicklow
Castleruddery Stone Circle – also known locally in Wicklow as the “Druid Stone Circle” sits in a clearing at the mouth of the Glen Imaal. Lugnaquilla, the highest peak of the Wicklow Mountain Range is visible in the distance. If I had to pick 3 favorite stone circles out of the scores I’ve visited in Ireland, they would be Uragh, Beaghmore and Castleruddery.
Castleruddery Stone Circle in on our Castles, Saints & Druids tour in September of 2014
There are about 30 stones in this disheveled circle which measures about 100 feet in diameter. Whitethorn trees have grown up in the circle – one actually clutches stones in its roots. Why is this one of my favorites? Energy. There is a an old, ancient energy about Castleruddery. A sensitive person can feel the vibrations from the circle on the approach.
Whitethorn Tree roots grip the stones in the circle
The circle dates back likely to the early Bronze Age (2500 BC), and it has two qualities not typically found together in stone circles –
- It is a recumbent stone circle that follows certain astronomical patterns. Typically these stone were used for ritual practices by the druid class and probably used as a means to chart the seasons.
- The circle is on a ringed embankment with an opening in the east, and aerial views suggest that embankment is on a third embankment. This was a typical setting for building defensive structures – like forts and defensive castles.
Stones outside the circle near the eastern opening of the embankment could be directional stones pointing to the circle – sort of acting like wayside markers.
What we can safely surmise is that Castleruddery Stone Circle was an important place of ritual and probably had a grand entrance.
the Quartz Portal Stones
The Stones of Castleruddery
This circle has the most amazing stones. The most impressive are the portal stones. They are massive white quartz recumbent stones that mark the entryway (east) into the circle. Quartz was significant in druidic circles. It reflected the light rather than absorbing it, and quartz retains energy and absorbs energy from its surrounds.
Local say that Druids still use Castleruddery stone circle for rituals, and that the circle is believed to have healing properties.
Castleruddery Bullaun Stones
Some of the stones in the circle are bullaun stones – stone with cup markings. In the Celtic tradition, these bullauns were created to hold rainwater at a sacred site, and the water collected would have healing properties. There are also stories of locals putting milk (a sign of purity) for the people of the Sidhe in the indentations of bullauns.
But sometimes the circular markings are for other purposes like being indentations to support other circular stones that were used as cursing stones or blessing stones (depending on which way a person turns the stones). In other cases markings on stones – particularly recumbent stones (flat lying stones) – charted an astronomical event like the setting of the sun on a particular day. Carvings could also be directional meant to lead the traveler to a destination.
Castleruddery Bullaun Stones
No one can be certain what the markings on the Castleruddery stones mean. But they are interesting if nothing else.
The Energy of Castleruddery
Ground yourself and calm yourself just before you enter Castleruddery through the quartz portal stones, and you may be able to feel the energy, the vibrations that come through the circle.
Ritual practices ignite energy and also revive it. Energy that is ancient can lie dormant and a stone circle can feel stagnant or dead. But when people come back to a place and practice rituals, they rejuvenate the old energy, calling it back, reigniting what was once there – stirring up the old and mingling it with the new. The circle feels like it once did – vibrating with energy.
This is how Castleruddery feels to me. The strong vibrational pull is similar to Cashelkeelty or Uragh in West Cork and Beaghmore in Tyrone or Caldragh in Fermanagh (even though Caldragh is not a stone circle but the home of the Boa Island Janus figures). There is a magic about the stones.
Castleruddery Stone Circle – County Wicklow
The name Castleruddery comes from the Irish Caisleán an Ridire meaning Castle of the Knight.
Castleruddery Stone Circle in on our Castles, Saints & Druids tour in September of 2014
6 Reasons to Tour Ireland’s Thin Places
St. Berrihert’s Kyle – Glen of Aherlow – County Tipperary
On a thin places tour of Ireland, the traveler focuses on places where the veil between this world and the eternal world is thin. In these mystical places spiritual energy is high, and there is a strong sense of the life force that charges every living thing. Thin places have a special energy, a vibration that resonates. The landscape has a magnetic pull.
While thin places exist everywhere, Ireland has hundreds scattered over a country that is barely the size of West Virginia or Vermont. If you are intrigued by ancient standing stones, old oak trees, monastic ruins; if you’re inspired by castles, intrigued by stories of heroes, giants, goddesses and kings; if you hunger for a connection with your ancestors or long to go deeper into your own spirit and soul, then you’re ripe for a mystical tour of Ireland’s thin places.
Here are six reasons to tour Ireland’s thin places:
1. You’re Searching … Spiritually
The Rock of Cashel – County Tipperary
Perhaps you are longing to know more about what lies beyond earthly existence. Maybe you have a desire to travel inward, a desire to belong to something greater. You love nature and know that every living thing is charged with the Divine presence. You love history and stories of your ancient civilizations.
You want to connect with an ancient landscape – to touch the Other world – to draw from it, to feel the pulse of the earth’s energy, to feel the presence of those who went before and those who will come after, to walk in a magical landscape in order to discover your own inner landscape.
Next Thin Places Tour of Ireland is September 2014. Register Today.
2. You’re Growing … Spiritually
King Oak – 700 years old – on the grounds of Charleville Castle – County Offaly
You already have one foot in this world and one in the Other world. You may have a great affinity for trees, for stones, for wildlife, mountains and the sea. Sometimes you journey during meditation. You believe there are no coincidences. To you coincidences and synchronicity are the language of the spirit world. Sometimes you can sense the memories of the past in a particular place. You are intrigued by old stones, by art, poetry and music. They transport you into a higher existence. Yet though you have these sensitivities, you know there is more. You’re looking to perfect your gifts and you’re hungry for a deeper understanding.
3. You’re Already Using Your Spiritual Gifts
St. Kevin’s Church – Glendalough – County Wicklow
Perhaps you’re a healer, a priest, a spiritual director, and energy worker, a psychic medium, a mystic, a therapist, or someone who offers powerful prayers for others. You’re able to walk in both worlds and have an internal sense of the Divine. You successfully communicate with spirits and otherworldly beings. You may have a strong understanding of earth energies, and can feel the vibrations in a highly charged site. You may have an understanding of the spiritual power in ritual and devotion (rounds of prayers such as the rosary, ritual practices, meditation, pilgrimage, visits to holy wells).
4. You Are a Teacher
Castleruddery Stone Circle – County Wicklow
You may be responsible for teaching others spiritual or healing practices… a practitioner who trains others, a mentor, an artist, a therapist. In a world where spiritual leaders are scarce and negative forces threaten to quench the zeal and passion of those who seek a higher existence, being in a mystical landscape refreshes and strengthens the soul. Creativity thrives. Needed spirit guides appear. Lifelong friends are made.
5. You’re in Need of Healing
Whether it’s physical, emotional or spiritual healing you need, Ireland’s thin places have a strong, healing energy. The soul soaks up this energy with every step into the mystical landscape.
6. You Love Someone Who Fits the Descriptions Above
People on spiritual journeys often reach out for the support of friends or family. While some like a solitary experience, others want a close companion or soul mate to travel with them. Though you may not be searching spiritually, or looking to deepen your own understanding, you may be called to support someone who is. Often times people who support others on a thin places journey will find unexpected benefits in their own lives. It may be nothing more than relaxation and a calming of the spirit, but if you’re asked to go on a thin places tour, it’s most likely meant to be.
Why not consider joining us on a thin places tour of Ireland?
