This is the kind of story we just don’t find here in the US…

Ireland, County Galway: A 15th century carved bishop’s head was rescued from a heap of rubble, shortly before it would have been carted off and dumped. Somehow the head (over the centuries) made its way from a Dominican Abbey, to a wall behind an old sweet shop, to a heap of rubble left when the wall was demolished during renovations. That’s where an amateur historian found and rescued it.

I can easily imagine his excitement at the discovery, and the sense of joy, pride and satisfaction at saving a “hugely important” artifact. What a thrill! And thank goodness he was there to save it.

If I had a 15th century stone head in my back wall, not only would I know about it, but it would be one of the great historical treasures of Phoenix.

Independent IE: Medieval artefact rescued by amateur historian

Unfortunately, not all historical treasures are so easily saved, even the large well-known ones. For more on the continuing saga of the M3 roadway through the ancient site of Tara, here’s a quote from an interesting site:

Tara has outlasted the invasions and conquests by internal and external geopolitical forces, climate changes of the iron age, religious crusades, plague, pestilence and famine. It is the repository of heritage and history of the Celtic people from eons ago.

But since the turn of the century, the twenty first century, Tara has succumbed to the conquest of the ‘global economy’, modernization and convenience. The government and its business partners are building a sixty km highway across its face and through its heart. If ever a place on this blessed earth earned the name, ‘heartland’, Tara is that sacred place.”

HubPages: Irish Kings of Tara

We’ll have a chance to see many of Ireland’s historical treasures on our women’s tour of Ireland this June. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be peering at every stone wall looking for bishops’ heads!