Opening hours at ancient Irish landmark Grianán of Aileach in Donegal extended

The free to visit ancient Irish monument and jewel in Donegal’s crown has been the subject of a petition calling for opening hours to be restored after a new gate was installed and access curtailed for longer periods daily.

The ‘Change.org’ petition was started by Bettina Linke and has to date attracted almost 2,000 signatures.

Bettina pointed out how the monument “is much cherished by the people of the surrounding areas of Inishowen and Derry and has become to many a place to relish life and beauty, a place to connect with one’s ancestors and past, a place of contemplation and peace in troubled times, a place to just be, to propose on one’s knees, to picnic and everything in between”.

“Many enjoy a visit to the site during out of office hours, the sunsets being the favourite but also stargazers at night, hoping to glimpse the Aurora Borealis or to see the Milky Way above the monument. And there are people, some of them dealing with mental health issues, who come before work and school at sunrise, to ready themselves for the daily tasks and tribulations ahead.

"As for the sunrise, a forgotten solar alignment was rediscovered in March 2012 at the spring equinox during which a glorious golden beam entered through the gate and divided the inside perfectly into a southern and northern half. Over the years a small ‘equinox family’ grew to witness our very own alignment. The Lithuanian families come for several years now, having chosen to celebrate their autumn equinox tradition at the Grianan. And the last few years saw finally visitors from around the world arriving, as well as other parts of Ireland, specifically to see the alignment and the golden beam of light streaming through the entire length of the monument."

"The last 10 years have also seen a tremendous increase of visitors to the Grianan of Aileach be it on foot or bike, by car or coach from all corners of the world.”

The petition states that a gate recently re-installed by the OPW at the monument was, “for the first time in many decades” now being locked according to the newly imposed opening hours to not just vehicles but also pedestrians.

This meant, those calling for change said, Grianan was closed “for every sunrise and every sunset during the entire year so that no one will be able to stand on its wall, admiring, enjoying, celebrating the beauty this monument has to offer between dusk and dawn”.

"This is in utter disregard of how our community is using the Grianan and, as the past few months have proven, much to the disappointment and frustration to visitors from abroad. We are asking for the reinstatement of the open access to the Grianan, as it was before, and to reverse the newly introduced opening hours to the monument itself.”

Responding earlier this month, a spokesperson for the OPW confirmed that the site would open from 8.00am until 6.00pm hours daily starting from February 9.

However, confirming longer opening hours following a review, the spokesperson said this week: “The OPW are delighted to confirm that after further consideration, the site will be accessible during daylight hours.

"This is effective immediately, save for such occasions as national storm alerts, when for the safety of all, the site will have to be closed.

"These opening arrangements will be kept under review by the Office of Public Works, who look forward to continuing positive engagement with the local community into the future.”

The OPW also spoke of the significance of the site, stating: “An Grianán of Aileach is a National Monument in State Ownership under the management of the Office of Public Works. Located at the summit of Greenan Mountain, this important monument is a hillfort, with a stone cashel within the ramparts. The monument is a special place of significance and meaning in the locality.”

The petition can be viewed via: https://www.change.org/p/restore-open-access-to-grianan-of-aileach