Castleventry is an appropriate place to visit as the month of May begins
This ancient site with a commanding view over so much of West Cork has been inhabited for at least 4,000 years. It’s a combination of a ringfort, a Christian chapel and a contemporary burial ground.
In pre-Christian times it was a ritual site for druids who could invoke the blessing of the gods on all the surrounding area. So it was a busy place during the bronze and iron age.
Near the entrance to the fort there’s a well which is now Christianised and is still visited regularly. In the past, bronze objects and other historical pieces were discovered nearby which shows us that the Castleventry area was indeed a special place around 4,000 years ago.
The ancient churchyard at Castleventry
Its name in Irish - Caislean-na-gaiethe (castle of the wind) is well deserved! Its name in Latin is Templum Ventrie (The chapel of the wind). So, today’s place name in English is a curious mix of both!
In 1298 we are told that the Knights Templar arrived here and built a little Church in the fort. The Templars were a Christian military order (1119-1314) based at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and were involved in the Crusades and served as protection for Christian pilgrims travelling to the holy land. They funded the building of many cathedrals and churches across Europe from the proceeds of donations made to them.
The little church they constructed at Castleventry is recorded as being in complete ruins by the 1600s and today only a very low wall of that original structure remains to be seen. However, it is possible to see some of the stonework of the chapel which has remained unmoved or altered since the 13th century.
Some of the grounds around the chapel are still used for burials today. Four thousand years of mankind looking beyond for answers to the great questions of life and death.
