It was built in the 11th century during the reign of the Viking King Magnus Barefoot and has enjoyed a long and varied history. It is now largely a ruin but there are still many parts of it intact and it is a very interesting and appealing site to visit.
It is currently maintained by Manx National Heritage and has only just reopened following the island's relaxation of lockdown restrictions.
However, I was saddened to read yesterday that sometime over the weekend it had been targeted, seemingly by a group of bored youths, who had for some reason decided to kick down the ancient and very rare 500 year old wooden door at the entrance, causing extensive - and expensive - damage which now requires specialist attention. Several bottles discarded at the scene have been removed by the police for "examination".
I can understand that with their first taste of freedom after months of lockdown young people want to let off a little steam but to wilfully vandalise and destroy part of our island's heritage - why would they do that???
Why would they do that? Because they are ignorant arseholes - that is why.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why that Viking king used the handle "Barefoot"? My theory is that when pillaging he preferred not to wear shoes but of course I might be wrong. It has been known.
Surely not? I cannot imagine you are ever wrong YP so I shall accept your explanation of his unusual name.
DeleteYes it is true. When I was fourteen I mis-spelt Nebuchadnezzar. He was a Babylonian king. I have never quite got over the shame.
DeleteWhat are the police examining? "Here Sarge there's a mouthful left in this bottle". "It's mine". "Gerroff".
ReplyDeleteGreat photos.
I did wonder about that too northsidet.
DeleteSorry, the photo is not mine, I borrowed it from Google (too lazy to trawl through my own photos!)
DNA will be over everything left at the site. However, the constabulary are unlikely to have a match from the youths? concerned.
DeleteIt would make a great venue for a music festival. People in West Cork still talk about when Rory Gallagher played Macroom Castle in the seventies. Apparently it was like Ireland's Woodstock. I would love to have been there. I saw his band: Band of Friends last year in Kent. They were fab. Fab is my word today.
ReplyDeleteSo you are not Dave after all. You are Fabian! Fabian - the name kind of suits you. Posh, like Sylvester, Claude or Peregrine! Fab for short.
DeleteFabian Denorthsider at your service.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fab name 🙂
DeleteMy late Dad often spoke of cycling to Peel Castle as boy to watch the basking sharks out to sea.
ReplyDeleteHi Gill. That's wonderful. How long ago would that have been? There are still basking sharks in our waters all around the island but I have only seen them off Port Erin, further south. It would be great to see them from Peel.
DeleteDad was born in 1916 and lived in Laxey until 1939 when he left to serve in WW2.He never returned to live on IOM but often spoke of his childhood there.
DeleteGoodness, cycling from Laxey to Peel would have been quite something. I don't often even drive that!
DeleteBastards
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly.
DeleteWho the Tories?
ReplyDeleteNow, now. You know that my blog is non political so go and wash your mouth out. Guinness will probably do instead of soap.
DeleteSorry. I am only joking JayCee.
ReplyDeleteI forgive you, only because you are such a nice person
DeleteOh no. That is awful. I cannot comprehend why someone would do that. I also cannot understand why such an historic building was not better protected.
ReplyDeleteUp until now it has not really been necessary given our history of relatively low numbers of such incidents but recently mindless acts of vandalism seem to have risen. Possibly connected to a sort of lockdown madness? I don't know.
DeleteI assume the level of vandalism and crime in the Isle of Man is pretty low and well contained as a rule?
ReplyDeleteThat's right Graham, which is why it seems so shocking.
DeleteSome things are inexplicable. Personally I have no desire to destroy ancient heritage sites; I wonder why they do?
ReplyDeleteIt seems so mindless I despair of the future if this is the mentality of our younger generation.
DeleteSuch a shame. And shame on the ignoramuses that did it.
ReplyDeletexxx