The Ballyeglish Society

The site of Ballyeglish Old Graveyard is ancient. It has been visited and traversed since tribes first arrived in Ireland approximately 15,000 years ago. The landscape has changed much over that tremendous period of time, affected by human actions. We build. We destroy. We build again. We shape and reshape our environment to suit ourselves and others. And Ballyeglish has not escaped this continuous development.

Now, we have at our disposal in The Ballyeglish Society, the means to better chart changes, both natural and not, to the old place. Whether it be the seasons, or restoration, preservation and promotion, Ballyeglish Old Graveyard is going to present a different face to the world over the months and years ahead, and we are intent on documenting it.

There are few more complete and adventurous ways to record how a site looks than from a drone. These aerial cameras can be used to look at a place from many different angles, both high and low. They can boldly go where no man, or woman, has gone before. In this article, we offer two pieces of recent drone footage taken at the old burial site. Although there is plenty to see, it should be noted that this is the first outing for the drone there, and the drone operator is still learning how the machine operates, so the video is not quite as smooth or professional as it could be. That will improve with experience.

The day chosen was sunny and dry. However, there was a moderate wind which affected the height the drone could ascend to. On a calm, dry day, the small drone used can legally reach a height of 120m (almost 400 feet in old money). Sadly, the footage shown was taken from less than 50m. We can see considerable potential for future panoramas.

One of the points of interest is how trees look when viewed from directly above. The canopies are fully in bloom at this time of year, so it’s a wild canvas of texture and shape. The yew trees at Ballyeglish look especially grand. It’s easy to see why birds enjoy them. So, without further ado, relax, put your weary feet up, and enjoy the first virtual tour of an ancient Irish burial site that has seen religious worship for thousands of years.

We hope you enjoyed that footage. It kinds makes you better understand our feathered friends. We wonder if, when they sing, they do it with joy at being so unrestrained. Birds don’t tend to live long, but it looks as if they can cram a lot of ecstatic experience into a short period of time.

But wait, hold yer horses, we’re not done yet. We have a second shorter piece of footage for those who would like to soar the skies some more. It’s the same site but perhaps you’ll notice something new. Or, maybe, you’ll feel motivated to visit Ballyeglish to compare, your view from the soil to that which you’ve seen from the air. Enjoy!

Well, there you have it folks, your first ever virtual tour of the old burial site and its environs. Keep checking in with us for more videos of the graveyard. And, please, don’t forget to comment below and on Facebook, and perhaps visit the site if you can, to help us with this project.

Bígí linn