There were no vehicles in the farmyard. My knock on the door went unanswered so I decided to go ahead and check out the Bivallate rath on top of the drumlin to the rear of the house. A friendly dog accompanied me up the lane. It was a dry day with high cloud. Visibility was good, and as is so often the case when visiting monuments, I understood fully when I reached it why its builders chose its location. The impressive rath was constructed on a relatively low hill within the wider landscape and, when viewed from below, would have belied completely that anything of such strategic importance could be up there amongst the trees. But there it was, commanding panoramic views across the border counties and the drumlin belt that had been a natural line of defense for millennia between Ulster and the rest of Ireland.
The imposing structure was evidently built by someone of importance who had the power and prestige to marshal the labour of many people, probably during the early Christian Period between 500 to 1100 AD. The circular flat centre was surrounded by two concentric deep ditches and banks, which would have been topped with wooden palisades and a single gate at the entrance. It was in remarkably good condition and obviously well looked after by its current owner.
Following my inspection I made my way back to the farmyard. A pick-up was parked at the back door, and this time my knock was answered by a middle-aged man who, after I had introduced myself, silently ushered me inside with a sweep of his arm. In the kitchen, he put the kettle on and produced a packet of biscuits. As I sat down at the table, I congratulated him on how well he cared for such an impressive monument.
“Well, the Bible states that we remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers have set. Proverbs 22:28. Have you read the Bible?”
I replied that I had not, but oddly enough, I had read the Koran. “Well, it has more in common with the Bible than you might think,” he told me.
He was evidently a man who took the scriptures seriously, and I was delighted to hear his quotation from the Bible about the need to care for our ancient monuments. It seemed that the Book was to be the focus of our conversation. I mentioned that I have a good friend who, as a former Methodist preacher, was given to quoting the Bible. The meaning of one always alluded me. Might my host be able to explain, “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”?
”Ah!” he said, ”that’s from the Sermon on the Mount, and it means that we should not worry about the future, as each day contains an ample burden of evils and suffering”.
We were on a roll. I said that another friend often quoted, “There will arise in Egypt a pharaoh who knows not Joseph”. My host responded that the quote was from Exodus and meant that change happens constantly and that the old must give way to the new. After several more biblical queries and explanations, nearly an hour had gone by, and it was time for me to leave.
As I was getting into my car, I mentioned that there was one quote from the Bible which I liked, and its meaning was simple enough, even for me to understand. I reminded him that at the start of our chat I had congratulated him on his care of the ancient rath in his care, and concluded by saying, “By his works shall you know him”.
My host seemed pleased. “Ah, Matthew 17. Don’t worry. The monument above will remain in good hands for as long as we hold this land.”
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