Our House Name
"Angela, where does your house name originate from?"
T
he above question is undoubtedly the most frequent question that I
have been asked by those who have stayed with me since I started doing B&B back in 1989.
W
ell, the ancient gaelic name for the district where our house is
located was Cill Bhreac
(pronounced "kill v-rack")
. It is believed that
Cill Bhreac
or Milltown
as it is now known as, was a place of considerable importance in
pre-historic times, as far back as the year 2000 B.C. Around this area there has been a collection
of stone monuments found that are thought to have a connection with pagan ritual and burial
customs. One of the boulders measures 13 feet 5 inches in length. Cut into this stone are many
rock scribings known as the cup and circle
. These symbols have completely baffled the
minds of students of antiquity. They date from the late stone age or early bronze age and there is
no ready explanation for them. Similar scribings have been discovered in Galica in the north of
Spain and it is thought that explorers from ancient Spain brought this form of rock art to
Cill Bhreac
/Milltown. Collectively, the stones in the area are known locally as the
Gates of Glory
.
Y
ou would probably have never guessed that there could be so much behind a name!