Kinnitty Forest
Location: Kinnitty, Ireland
Elevation: 1,729 feet
Note: If you wanted to find the geographical heart of all Ireland, working your way towards the absolute center of the country, you would inevitably arrive at the beautiful medieval town of Kinnitty. After just a momentary glimpse of this landscape it truly seems as if the countryside itself has become aware of it’s central placement as the green-beating-heart of Ireland, producing a stellar Celtic scene absolutely worthy of this title. Kinnitty Mountain, along with the old forest that runs along it’s lower valley, sits just a half mile to the north-west of tranquil Kinnitty. Hikers can pick up the main trail into this gorgeous scene at one of the prettiest entry points in the world, behind Kinnitty Castle, built in the year 1209. The Castle remains fully functional, with fine dining, an accessible outer courtyard, and stables where horses are kept and trained on the mountain throughout the day.
Headed towards the trail it feels as if you’ve walked into an epic fable, or a medieval saga. The trail begins just behind the stables beyond a small trickling stream. A stone-circle will appear on your right, just 20 yards away from the path. It is a picturesque scene, with a barn-house at the edge of the looming Wood.
Unfortunately, the stone circle is not authentic, and was created by a previous owner of the estate some years ago, but it’s aesthetic effect is certainly complimentary.
Continuing past the sign that reads ‘Kinnitty Forest’ just beyond the circle, the trail begins to climb. With the British incursion of Ireland beginning in the 12th century, the British Royals illustrious Navy and it’s ships, as well the occupying manors and hamlets abroad, which were built in support of the Crowns `expansion’, deforested Ireland almost entirely.
The upside to to this is that the remaining trees that make up Kinnitty Forest are like the regal survivors of a once beautiful era, refusing to vanish.
They loom over the trail protectively with a beautiful bright milky color that shines against the glades. Continuing above the tree line, the trail begins to circle the Mountain, just to the right. In the open air and Sun, Fairy Foxgloves and Clovers appear in bright clusters. If you look down, at an elevation of roughly 1600 feet, in the most landlocked trail in all of Ireland, you will discover Seashells mingled with the stones!.
How these shells came to rest at the top of a mountain is just one of many wonderful discussions you might have while strolling through this fantastic Celtic scene. The loop continues for roughly 4.5 miles before returning to the Castle grounds. There are alternate trails that continue several miles to the north-east, into the Sleive Bloom Mountain Range, if you wish to continue the experience. Kinnitty Forest trail is truly the sacred heart of all Ireland, and in every possible way. It is a priceless glimpse into the way things once were, of a quieter more peaceful time that still lingers in the hills of this Celtic place. It is my hope that whoever reads this review, and takes it to heart, will one day experience it for themselves.
Lynn Woods Trail/Secret Megaliths
Location: Lynn Woods/Massachusetts/North West of Boston
Lynn Woods/Long Piece
Ireland/Long Piece
The beautiful trails at Lynn Woods are roughly 8 miles of preserved old forestry, centered around a crystal-blue lake. The small but exquisite area is surrounded by the little city of Lynn, north-west of Boston. Paths run along the lake to the east, or west into the forest, where after roughly 2.5 miles of elevated trail, a scenic stone tower appears on top of the most significant elevation in the reserve. Mountain bikers, dog-lovers, and runners utilize the area to the fullest in the Summer, continuing well into the Fall, when the trees begin to glow a luminary red, yellow, and orange. Bright Birch groves emerge with swaying Maple’s and Pines that reflect off the water while trekking along.
Anyone visiting this particular area of Massachusetts looking not to venture too far from Boston, but wanting to experience quintessential New England fauna and foliage, should hike right into Lynn Woods for a picturesque day. Although signs are posted for patrons to stay on the trail, there is an abundance of anthropological statements in the beautiful stone fixtures deep in the woods, and along the lake waterline. A careful and experienced hiker can certainly take the time to appreciate some of these incredible stone fixtures that host markings with measurement styles and stone types similar to those found in the Celtic heights of the mountains of Donegal Ireland, making them potentially 4000 to 6000 years old. A marvelous long piece sits close to the water at the start of the eastern trail, among other cut stones with distinct markings. The measurements on this long piece reveal 9 spaces of smaller cuts between the longer cuts: a system based on 11 spaces as a ‘full span’. The colonial ‘foot; is not represented in these works. A fantastic crafted boulder sits just off the eastern trail directly along the waterline. It displays an enigmatic 45* degree set of linear incisions running directly across the face of the rock.
Interestingly enough, Lynn Woods is a also home to the largest Standing Stone in Massachusetts, found just a half mile into the very beginning of the trail from the parking area: take an immediate left after walking the short distance, an climb to the very top of the hill, just outside of the woods, and you will find the Standing Stone.
It is beautifully set standing roughly 11 feet high and 3 feet in width. I am guessing that this stone weighs at least 5 tons. Similar to many Celtic standing stones, there is a second smaller stone that was obviously cut off from the main standing piece, ‘smaller’ meaning it weighs about 900 pounds or so. It sits eternally just to the left of the megalith. For real antiquarians, in the deeper forest, there are free standing boulders and massive megalithic fixtures on the top of the rolling hills continuing away from the lake.
One of the most amazing pieces in all of New England is 4 miles into the eastern trail, just to the right of the path. This massive 20 ton granite stone stands 8 feet high, and is an incredible display of precision made parallel cuts, and measuring metrics. The stone is incised through nothing less than four full feet of solid granite rock. There are mathematical statements in this stone still to be deciphered, and it is truly priceless. When considering the megaliths of Lynn Woods it has to transcend the simple label of ‘nature reserve’. Lynn Woods makes the roll of Stonestrider.com due to these obviously sacred statements of megalithic expressions, so similar to the Celtic world, making it extremely likely that they are from deep antiquity. Unfortunately, all of these stones are not even noted in New England anthropological society, until now; Yet if they were in Ireland, England, Wales, or Scotland, they would be revered and protected. This place is one of the best kept anthropological secrets in all of New England. 
Tully Lake/Forest of Neolithic Engineering
Location: Athol Massachusetts
Ireland
Tully Lake
Note: Tully Lake Trail is nothing less than a kingdom of cut stones enveloped by gorgeous old growth forest in the heart of New England. The main trail loops down along the lake for about two miles, and then back into the elevated forest for another five. It is a challenging hike in winter, but enchanting. As you begin to progress into the glades of tall pines, birch, and maple, it becomes impossible to ignore the crafted megaliths lining the hillsides. It becomes abundantly clear that whoever engineered these incredible stones wanted them to be noticed. It is a venerable masonic work area, with standing stones, cut boulders, stone linings, and ancient stone dwellings. Furthermore, the stonework is not arbitrarily placed, but is clearly set in a specific manner, although beneath a blanket of snow it is difficult to decipher on a blustery December day. The clarity of the markings on these stones is astonishing. Similar styles of measurement for the cutting of megaliths exist at Mount Bearnagh in the Mourne Range of Ireland, and also most notably in the Lynn Woods further east of here in Massachusetts. Observing the scale of what are clearly measurement markings for cutting, (which I must add is certainly not inches, but some other grand standard) allows us to consider what the craftsman of the stones considered to be ‘scale’.
And that scale is MASSIVE. The stones also reveal incredibly complicated curvatures, extremely hard to create in large granite pieces.
The entire forest is inundated with stone statements that cry out for observation. Consistent with other old-growth trails all over the world, this forest contains the remnants of what I believe is the one time home of the craftsman of this area. Sitting roughly four miles into the loop of the main trail, unlabelled in any way, to the right of the pathway while heading back towards the entrance, I saw an incredible stone foundation of what was once clearly someones home. This site featured a beautifully dry-laid and grand cut-stone looking to weigh at least 2 tons, embedded perfectly into the foundation. The amount of care and effort that went into placing just this one megalithic center-piece must have been challenging. With sites like this, a trail becomes a priceless anthropological zone on the level of Tollymore Forest in Ireland, and Monument Mountain in the southern Berkshires of Massachusetts.
To find an ancient dwelling, or one definitive standing stone in a single New England forest is rare, but to find several is truly exhilarating. Further along the trail there is a stone connected to a stone-lining (‘wall’) looking very much like a Celtic ‘directional stone’, almost identical to types I have seen in England.
Celtic areas have preserved these stones and properly noted them as important anthropological statements from a culture perhaps 6000 years in the past, but New England has failed to do so here. Ironically, this somehow makes New England’s ancient sites feel a bit more pristine than even Celtic areas that are well known, because the stones have not been touched, or even visited by anyone knowingly seeking the works of a neolithic culture. When considering that almost every massive boulder in the forest contains some form of crafting, whether it be boulders split in half, or simply marked by incisions of some type, the amount of energy that would have been put into this effort is astounding, and so worth noting. And all the time, behind fixture after fixture of colossal craftsmanship, is mile upon mile of zig-zagging stone linings sliding through the trees.
Close consideration of these works reveal that these efforts are not mere random ‘holes’ in the rock, but linearly lined incisions.
And cuts along the edges of these megaliths are measurements, not random markings. Some of the craft work is truly artistic, revealing a joy in the artistry. Some stones are set in pairs, others are laid out as massive fixtures, seeming to have a functional flare. Hiking through these pathways is a pure wonder that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of what might have taken place clear back to the beginning of Time.
The stones themselves seem to insist that it may not be the linear evolutionary line that postmodern texts have been pushing for the last 100 years. It is clear that technology existed in antiquity, and was utilized in this incredible daydream of a forest. On an international scale of 1 to 10 for sacred forests, Tully Lake is a 15. Seek and find it out for yourself, something truly magical took place here.
Savoy Falls Trail/Standing Stone
Location: Savoy, Massachusetts
Scale: Standing Stone weight 1 ton, 5 feet height, 3 feet width: crafted to indicate Solar Noon.
Note: The trail along Savoy Falls in the forests of Massachusetts is as breathtaking as any Celtic scene in Ireland, England, Wales, or Scotland.
The ancient stonework here is of the exact same style and period one might find in places like Tollymore Forest, or Cavan National Park, both thousands of miles away in Ireland.
These are not simple “walls”, but they are most certainly engineering efforts put in place to influence the flow of the water in the area. Native Americans did not build these structures, and they did not claim to. They were therefor present in the area before the natives arrived, making them perhaps some of the first engineered works ever, at the beginning of what we know as Time. A more astonishing standing stone is present at the mid-point of the first of two massive waterfalls along the trail. It is my belief that this stone was placed specifically in order to point directly at the Sun at its highest point in the sky.
The first image above shows the Sun at mid-day, the waterfall flowing directly along its path, with the stone pointing directly to Noon slightly to the left-center. It is a truly magical and spectacular scene, and I believe the entire waterfall was engineered to create this effect. These are energy centers, not the arbitrary rippings of ice sheets long ago.
Other areas along the gigantic waterfall trail that runs for miles into the valley reveal wonderful pools and smaller features that are just as mystical as any scene from a Celtic fairy tale. I am convinced that the same culture that crafted the ancient stonework in Celtic places also crafted these sacred sites in New England. There was an era before native cultures, where the original culture existed; The first culture on Earth built these places.
Whats more, not far from this area are sites where standing stones sit in farmers fields just as they do in Europe, again indicating a culture at work in this area ‘once upon a time’. This particular stone below is roughly six feet high and three feet in width, with a beautiful view of the Savoy forestry beyond.
Getting to Savoy Falls is a challenge. GPS will direct you to the extremely rugged dirt road you need to find in the town of Savoy, but drive slowly and carefully or you could damage your exhaust beneath your car. About 3/4 of a mile down the dirt road you can park your car to the right where there is a small designated space. The trail will be just off to the right revealing a waterside path downward. This is one of the most beautiful places in the world, if you come to New England, find Savoy Falls, you’ll never forget it.
Glenveagh National Park
Location: Glenveagh National Park/Donegal/ Ireland
Elevation: 450 feet/Glenveagh Castle, elevated view trail
Scale: Capstone weight 1.5 tons
Profile of cut Standing Stone
Face of cut Standing Stone
Note: The Glenveagh Mountains are the classic Celtic range for any trailblazer. Glenveagh Castle sits beside the lake below, supporting trails that run both along the water and above the castle grounds.
Tucked into the exact center of the elevated gully high above the castle is a small but distinct wedge tomb, complete with a classically slanted capstone and clearly squared entrance way. Many engineered megaliths share the distinct pattern of being located just behind a fantastic peak, out of the wind, most likely where a fire may be concealed from the dangers of the valley beyond; And the valley beyond is truly a site to behold. Another feature that distinguishes arbitrary looking caves from Wedge Tombs is that they are often centrally aligned with the exact mid-line of the mountain facade behind, as you can see from the premier image above. From the top of the mountain looking straight down to the center below is the Wedge Tomb’s location. In terms of the overall space it creates a type of ‘clarity’, rather clutter, to introducing an intrinsic symmetries into the landscape that will comfort those occupy it, and objectify any unaware intruders. Along the Glenveagh Castle Trails there are massive stones that are clearly cut with precision, most likely designating the area as “occupied” by whoever put them there so many thousands of years ago.
This particular standing stone is cut on one side to create a smooth ‘face’. It stands roughly seven feet high, and 2.5 feet in width, weighing perhaps 3 tons. It is located about a half mile below the Dolmen along a perfectly picturesque waterline. This is also a common theme found in sites from Ireland, England, and America: megaliths placed specifically to call attention to the area as occupied, like corners of a small kingdom. Other clearly engineered works are cut into the cliffs above, complete with right angles and squared free-sitting boulders/slabs. Anthropologists who have taken the time to investigate the patterns of sites where Dolmen are discovered will acknowledge these common themes of strategic location in reference to the Sun, elevated vantages, centrality, and clear ‘signature works’ of stone designating and possessing the area. Those who dismiss the accumulated logic of consistent dynamic evidence with the increasingly crude idea of ‘glacial displacement’ as being responsible for these sacred zones are defending an agenda that limits our understanding of History in general.
Why is it so hard to even discuss the possibility of a Pre-Native/Pre-Celtic civilization that precedes tribal-human communities? In the Book of Samuel of The Old Testament King David was ordained by God to lead his tribe in battle against the Philistines, who were described as a tribe of giants. The Philistines claimed to be descended from an even more ancient tribe of giants called the Nephilim, referenced in Genesis 6, who were semi-divine, related to angels that fell to Earth and copulated with the first humans in the earliest period of cultural History.
The Mayans did not claim to have built the oldest megalithic sites in South America, but said angels came from the sky and did it before they arrived, and Dolmens can be found outside of Israel to this day. Why is Postmodern culture pushing commercialized popular science as fact when the anthropology tells a very different story? Walk the trails and see for yourself.
Standing Stone/Salt Hill, Galway
Location: Salt Hill Beach Galway
Scale: 7 feet height, 2.5 feet length, 8 inches width, 700 pounds weight.
Elevation: Sea level.
Note: This Stone in Galway is simply beautiful. Standing Stones by their very nature are cinematic, and what this conveys is that Celts practiced the original forms of cinematic sense. This was a great moment of understanding for me.
Standing Stone, Skyrim
Location: Skyrim
Scale: 10 feet height, 2.5 feet width, 1 ton weight.
Elevation: 1000 feet.
Note: This animated digital landscape in Skyrim is purely inspirational. Due to scenes like these, I decided to find the real thing every summer. So glad I did. I will continue to post these every so often to entice people to play this game, and also find the real thing at Celtic places. You can do it.