Limerick

[Kieron]

Too far south, I think. The stones are supposed to have fallen within three miles of each other. Skagh is about six or seven miles from Briska and the Faha desmesne.

I wonder if there is any chance of finding the contemporary account in the Limerick Chronicle? Must be some clues in there.

[David Entwistle]

Too far south, I think. The stones are supposed to have fallen within three miles of each other. Skagh is about six or seven miles from Briska and the Faha desmesne.

I wonder if there is any chance of finding the contemporary account in the Limerick Chronicle? Must be some clues in there.

I suspect the story has changed with the telling over the years. The letter from Sam Maxwell suggests that Scagh neighbours Adare, when it says...

Six or seven more of the same sort of masses, but smaller... ... descended at the same time, with great velocity, in different places between the lands of Scagh and the village of Adare.

It is the case that the area named "Skagh" neigbours Adare.

It looks as though the appropriate edition of The Limerick Chronicle should be available in the Local Studies section of the Limerick City Public Library.

[Barwellian]

I have come across reports where strewn fields have been reversed with large pieces landing nearer and small further down field....I think it was postulated that it was a low terminal burst or strong winds taking the smaller slower fragments further along and overtaking the heavier pieces which are not effected as much during the freefall dark flight.

Just back from Ensisheim....great trip....will try and get some photos/detail up if I get chance before I am away again Wednesday.

Graham

[David Entwistle]

I wonder if there is any chance of finding the contemporary account in the Limerick Chronicle? Must be some clues in there.

I see that Limerick City Museum hold one of the smaller stones and make reference to The Memorials of Adare p.149,150, appendix K. I haven't been able to find that in the City Library catalogue.


Image from Limerick City Museum web site.

[Kieron]

Call that a meteorite! Here's the Brasky mass:

http://www.museum.ie/en/list/artefacts. ... 425a52536c

[David Entwistle]

Call that a meteorite! Here's the Brasky mass:

http://www.museum.ie/en/list/artefacts. ... 425a52536c

Nice!

My memory isn't what it was, so to summarize, here's the text taken from the BIMS Limerick web page, with annotations based on this discussion - I'll edit it as we go along:

A shower of stones fell following detonations.

7.7kg fell at Scagh:

One of these was observed to descend ; it fell to the earth, and sunk into it more than a foot and a half,on the lands of Scagh in the neighbourhood of Pobuck's Well, in the county of Limerick.

One of these was observed to descend; it fell to the earth, and sank into it more than a foot and a half, on the lands of Scagh, in the neighbourhood of Patrick's Well, in the county of Limerick.

Fall site "lands of Scagh" is not fully understood.
Latitude:?
Longitude:?
Main mass held by?

29.5kg fell at Brasky:

One more very large mass passed with great rapidity and considerable noise; at a small distance from me; it came to the ground on the lands of Brasky, and penetrated a very hard and dry earth about two feet.

It is known as the "Brasky" mass after the Briska Townland in Limerick in which it fell (locally Briska, pronounced as Brisky).

Fall site identified as likely being around Briska More and Briska Beg
Latitude:
Longitude:
Main mass held by the National Museum of Ireland.

10.9kg fell at Faha:

There fell also, at the same time, on the lands of Faha, another stone, which does not appear to have been part of, or separated from, any other mass: its skin is smooth and blackish, of the same appearance as the first mentioned [Brasky] and weighed above 24lb.

Fall site identified as being in the area of Faha Desmesne (George Tuthill's house)
Latitude:
Longitude:
Main mass held by Oxford Museum of Natural History. How it came to be at Oxford is described on page 276 of Memorials of Adare Manor, by Caroline Countess of Dunraven.

Several smaller stones fell near Adare:

Six or seven more of the same kind of masses, but smaller, and fractured, as if shattered from each other or from larger ones, descended at the same time, with great velocity, in different places between the lands of Scagh and the village of Adare.

Fall site is not fully understood. The location of the "village of Adare" is known, but not so the "lands of Scagh". However, page 275 of Memorials of Adare Manor, by Caroline Countess of Dunraven, indicates that three of the 'six or seven' smaller stones landing actually in the streets of Adare.
Latitude:?
Longitude:?
One stone is held by Limerick City Museum

[Kieron]

David,

I couldn't see the reference you cited, but are you sure it isn't Memorials of Adare Manor? If so, it is available as a facsimile reprint:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memorials-Adare ... 1169763782

Also, I see that the City Museum stone was supposedly picked up in a street in Adare, adding yet another fall location to the list.


Regards, Kieron

[David Entwistle]

I couldn't see the reference you cited, but are you sure it isn't Memorials of Adare Manor? If so, it is available as a facsimile reprint:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memorials-Adare ... 1169763782

Also, I see that the City Museum stone was supposedly picked up in a street in Adare, adding yet another fall location to the list.

Hi Kieron,

Good call - it certainly is and it's available on-line, courtesy of Google books here. You can use the links from the contents page to navigate to The Museum (page 148), then read the bottom of the next page (149)and navigate from the contents page to Appendix K (page 275).

[Kieron]

Great stuff. So we have now three of the 'six or seven' smaller stones landing actually in the streets of Adare, and apparent confirmation of a NE to SW trajectory.

David, can you make out the weight of the smallest fragment (2 ?/10 ounces)? I want to convert the weights to grams.


Regards, Kieron

[David Entwistle]

David, can you make out the weight of the smallest fragment (2 ?/10 ounces)? I want to convert the weights to grams.

It looks like 2 9/10 ounces.

I see from Appendix k that what was originally "Pobuck's Well" and then "Patrick's Well" has now become "Patrick's Hill"....