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Puede resultar extraño que un artista de Belfast haga exposiciones sobre temas irlandeses en España en vez de en Irlanda del Norte, pero puede ser comprendido fácilmente si le echamos un vistazo a los vínculos que unen a estos dos países, especialmente cuando se trata de los mitos y leyendas, que se han convertido en una parte importante del blog de Harv.
La segunda exposición que tuvo lugar este verano en España se llevó a cabo en Madrid y mostraba una variada colección de todos los estilos de sus pinturas y dibujos. Sin embargo en Julio se llevó a cabo otra exposición en un rincón mágico del norte de España, Asturias, que tiene una particular relevancia debido a que estos dibujos ilustran un libro escrito en español por una servidora, Bea H, que trata única y exclusivamente de los mitos y leyendas de Irlanda del Norte, así como algunos lugares mágicos que visitar en esa región. Uno de los capítulos de este libro está dedicado precisamente a las relaciones y los vínculos que unen a España con Irlanda!
Los muchos visitantes que tuvo la exposición, titulada "Irlanda del Norte - Mitos y Leyendas", hicieron muy buenas críticas y fue increible ver cómo, debido también a las descripciones que acompañaban a cada dibujo, los visitantes de lugares del norte tan diversos como el País Vasco, Galicia, Navarra y Cataluña por nombrar algunos expresaron las comparaciones que existen entre muchas de las criaturas que protagonizan los dibujos que representan los mitos y leyendas de Irlanda del Norte de Harv, con otros muchos con los que estaban más familiarizados, pues eran originarios de sus regiones en el norte de España!!
Esto ya había sido mencionado por los organizadores de la exposición y fue la razón por la que quisieron hacerse cargo de la exposición en primer lugar, pero para Harv fue una sorpresa oir a los visitantes hablar de sus propias bestias, personajes y leyendas de sus respectivas partes de España mientras admiraban los dibujos de las legendarias criaturas que el artista creía eran únicas y exclusivas de su tierra, el Ulster! La exposición fue organizada en un centro cultural de Asturias como parte de una colección de obras de artistas extranjeros residentes en España. La colección de Harv era de particular interés para los organizadores debido a que las leyendas y mitos asturianos tienen muchas similitudes con las leyendas y mitos irlandeses.
Sirenas, hombres lobo, vampiros, banshees, trolls y demonios, todos son representados en las obras de arte de Harv y al parecer el Norte de España tiene su propia colección de criaturas y personajes que son extremadamente similares a aquellos representados en los dibujos de la exposición.
Los eventos y las experiencias que describimos a continuación demuestran que sin duda existió y existe un vínculo entre los dos países y explica por qué no es tan extraño después de todo que un hombre del Ulster exponga sus dibujos sobre mitos y leyendas en una región de España!


LOS MILESIOS O CÓMO LOS IRLANDESES DESCIENDEN DE LOS GALLEGOS

Los milesios son considerados los últimos invasores de la isla de Irlanda y la sorpresa surge cuando descubrimos que los milesios procedían exactamente de la región de Galicia, en el noroeste de España.
La historia sobre la última invasión de Irlanda comienza con un valiente guerrero de nombre Breogan, quien fundó la ciudad de Brigantia, conocida en la actualidad como A Coruña y donde también construyó el famoso faro que hoy en día aún existe y se conoce con el nombre de Torre de Hércules. Breogan tuvo diez hijos y uno de ellos, de nombre Bile le dio un nieto llamado Golam, con quien comienza esta curiosa historia. Golam estuvo en Escitia, donde contrajo matrimonio con Seng, la hermosa hija del rey Reffloir, que le dio a su vez dos hijos, y más tarde partió hacia Egipto donde se volvió a casar, esta vez con la hija del faraón con la que tuvo más descendencia.
Cuando decidió regresar a su tierra con toda su familia, se encontró con que su abuelo Breogan y su padre Bile habían fallecido y las tribus sometidas se habían rebelado, saqueando el lugar y dejándolo en la más absoluta desolación. Algunos seguidores de su abuelo habían logrado esconderse en los bosques y Golam fue en su busca reuniéndolos para poder luchar contra los rebeldes y recuperar sus tierras, venciendo en todas las batallas que se llevaron a cabo, adoptando así el nombre de Mile o Miled, que significa guerrero vencedor o el exterminador. Durante muchos años fue gobernador de estas tierras hasta que una extraña enfermedad se lo llevó al otro mundo, dándole a las tribus sometidas una excusa perfecta para rebelarse de nuevo.
Ith, que era otro de los hijos de Breogan y un estudioso y experto en diferentes artes, se encontraba un día en lo alto del faro o Torre de Hércules observando el horizonte con ciertos instrumentos de su invención, cuando divisó una isla muy lejana cuya existencia desconocía y decidió embarcarse en una aventura para averiguar qué clase de tierra era aquélla. La isla era evidentemente Irlanda, que entonces se llamaba Inis Ealga, gobernada por unos Tuatha De Danaan que luchaban entre sí por conseguir las tierras que antes habían compartido. Ith sufrió una emboscada por parte de tres reyes con los que intentaba llegar a un acuerdo en este nuevo territorio y los hijos de Golam, convertidos en poderosos guerreros y ya en aquel entonces conocidos como Los Hijos de Mil, se lanzaron a invadir la isla para vengar la muerte de Ith. Llegaron a Irlanda un 1 de mayo del año 500 a. C., y los Tuatha De Danaan, que querían ganar tiempo para que sus druidas pudieran realizar algún conjuro que les llevara a una victoria y así  librarse de sus invasores, intentaron engañar a los hijos de Mil. Amergin, uno de los hijos, alejó sus barcos una distancia de nueve olas, lejos del alcance de los Tuatha de Danaan, más interesado en preparar una estrategia que les hiciera vencer al enemigo que en los conjuros de sus oponentes. Actualmente aún se conservan en Galicia algunos rituales que están relacionados con las nueve olas, como en la playa de A Lanzada, donde darse un baño en el mar saltando nueve olas en una noche de luna llena es una forma de propiciar la fertilidad de la mujer.
Cuando los barcos se alejaron los druidas de los Tuatha De Danaan aprovecharon esta ventaja para hacer llegar una tormenta mágica con el objetivo de alejar mar adentro los barcos de Amergin, pero no lo consiguieron pues este era un magnífico estratega y los hijos de Mil Espaine derrotaron a los Tuatha De Danaan que ya estaban debilitados a causa de sus luchas internas y tuvieron que huir a esconderse en los sidhe, bajo las colinas. Los hijos de Mil se trasladaron a la isla con todas sus familias y Amergin decidió darle el gobierno a los hermanos Eremon y Eber Finn, a los que no les gustó la idea de Amergin de que reinaran por turnos, primero uno y después el otro por lo que, finalmente, decidieron dividir la isla en norte y sur y así poder reinar los dos al mismo tiempo. Tras establecerse en Irlanda los hijos de Mil Espaine, procedentes de A Coruña, la isla no volvió a sufrir invasiones, pero muchos de los habitantes de la actual Galicia viajaron a Irlanda para establecerse allí con sus familias en esta nueva tierra conquistada, de lo que se podría deducir que los irlandeses actuales descienden de los españoles, más específicamente de los gallegos.


LA ARMADA ESPAÑOLA: EL NAUFRAGIO DEL GIRONA

En Mayo del año 1588 la Armada Española, la mayor y más poderosa flota nunca vista, partió de Lisboa, en Portugal. El objetivo de Felipe II era acabar con el poder de Isabel I e imponer y restaurar la fe católica en la Inglaterra protestante. Bajo el mando del Duque de Medina Sidonia, la Armada constaba de 130 navíos de diferentes tipos, tamaño y nacionalidades con 29.453 hombres y 2.241 armas de fuego de todo tipo. Supuestamente debían encontrarse en los Paises Bajos con tropas dirigidas por el Duque de Parma, embarcarlas e inmediatamente proceder a la invasión de Inglaterra. Las tormentas y los galeones ingleses más ligeros  dispersaron a la poco manejable Armada Española y muchos de los barcos fueron dañados o se hundieron en el mar. Sin posibilidad de volver por el mismo camino decidieron rodear la costa de Irlanda e intentar volver a España por esos medios. El mal tiempo climático, las tormentas, el mar cruel que rodea la isla y los acantilados mortales hicieron naufragar a la mayoría de los barcos que quedaban. Aunque muchos de los navíos pudieron ser rescatados alrededor de la costa irlandesa, la realidad era que aquellos hombres de la tripulación que lograron llegar a tierra firme no tenían garantizada su vida, pues se había ordenado a los soldados ingleses en Irlanda que se diera muerte a cualquier español que se encontraran por aquellas tierras. Todavía hoy se pueden localizar muchos restos de naufragios en la costa.
Uno de los barcos naufragados más impresionantes de la Armada fue El Girona, que actualmente se encuentra al norte del Condado de Antrim, en la costa de Portballintrae. El Girona se hundió la mañana del 26 de Octubre de 1588 y fue descubierto por el marino y arqueólogo belga Robert Senuit.
El Girona era un galeón empujado por el viento y los remos. Capaz de llevar hasta 500 hombres, fue el buque insignia de la Escuadra de Nápoles bajo el mando de Hugo de Moncada. Su capitán fue el italiano Fabricio Spinola de Genova y su tripulación incluía a 120 oficiales españoles. Aparte de cañones, transportaba 8.000 piezas de artillería. En el momento del naufragio llevaba 1.300 hombres incluyendo los supervivientes de otros barcos como Don Alonso Martínez de Leiva, un joven excepcionalmente bien parecido descrito por muchos en España como un hombre muy importante para el futuro del pais. Sobrecargado, el barco chocó contra un acantilado en Lacada Point al norte de Antrim y se hundió casi inmediatamente. Solamente 5 tripulantes sobrevivieron a la tragedia.
El reverso de los billetes del banco norirlandés Ulster Bank representa imágenes asociadas con la Armada Española, conmemorando el hundimiento de 24 barcos de la Armada en la costa del Condado de Antrim en el fatídico año de 1588. El billete de 10 libras representa al navío Girona, el de 20 libras representa el monumento de Lacada Point, lugar del naufragio,cerca de la Calzada de los Gigantes y el Castillo de Dunluce. El billete de 50 libras representa una medalla conmemorativa del naufragio y el billete de 100 libras muestra a la misma Armada Española. 
Cuando Robert Stenuit investigó el lugar del naufragio el barco estaba irreconocible y hecho pedazos pero el tesoro que llevaba con él pudo ser recuperado. Abalorios de oro y plata, distintivos de los diferentes rangos, motivos religiosos, prendas pertenecientes a los seres amados, cinturones de monedas y casi 1.200 monedas de oro y plata. Una cruz de Santiago hecha de oro que podía haber pertencido al mismo Alonso de Leiva, que era un caballero de la Orden de Santiago. Una salamandra de oro y rubíes, el talismán preferido de los soldados pues la mítica salamandra podía sobrevivir al fuego. Esta en particular también sobrevivió al agua! Toda esta colección de tesoros está cuidadosamente expuesta en una sala dedicada exclusivamente al Girona en el Ulster Museum en la ciudad de Belfast.


EL CASTAÑO ESPAÑOL

En el cementerio de la Iglesia de San Patricio, en Cairncastle, en la costa norte de Antrim se alza un viejo castaño español. Las ramas retorcidas y nudosas de este misterioso residente contrastan con los árboles nativos y los arbustos que crecen a su alrededor.
Los vecinos cuentan la historia de un joven noble que se ahogó cuando la Armada Española fue hundida en la costa de Ballygally en 1588 al intentar España invadir las costas inglesas. El cuerpo del noble fue encontrado por las gentes de la zona quienes le enterraron en el cementerio de la iglesia de San Patricio, llevando aún las ropas con las que le habían encontrado. En su tumba creció un castaño español, posiblemente proveniente de alguna semilla escondida en sus bolsillos. Otros dicen que el joven noble se llenó los bolsillos de castañas al darse cuenta de que el barco en el que viajaba estaba a punto de naufragar y las castañas le servirían para comerlas y mantenerse vivo durante más tiempo. El castaño español aún permanece allí, y algunos trozos han sido analizados, demostrándose que su datación es del siglo XVI, lo que da crédito a la leyenda local.


LA TUMBA DE LA MUJER ALTA. THE WINDY GAP, OMEATH (EL HUECO DEL VIENTO)

La Tumba de la Mujer Alta o “El Cairn de Cauthleen” es la tumba de una noble española que se casó con Lorcan O´Hanlon, el hijo menor del “cean” o jefe de Omeath. Antes de su muerte, el cean había ordenado que sus tierras fueran divididas entre sus dos hijos, Conn óg y Lorcan. Pero Conn óg engañó a su hermano llevándole al Lug, una hondonada en las montañas de Aenagh, diciéndole que le daría toda la tierra “tan lejos como alcanzara su vista”. Pero la niebla y la desolación de aquella hondonada eran el único legado de Lorcan. De cualquier modo Lorcan poseía un barco y comenzó a mercadear con Oriente, labrándose al fin una  fortuna y haciéndose rico. En uno de sus viajes a Cádiz, en España, salvó de forma muy valiente las vidas de un noble español y de su hija Cauthleen. Lorcan quedó prendado de Cauthleen, una descendiente de los grandes O´Donnell del Ulster y se enamoró de ella inmediatamente. Los dos formaban una pareja muy hermosa; ella medía 2 metros 13 centímetros, solo 7 centímetros menos de lo que medía Lorcan. Cauthleen ya estaba prometida a otro hombre pero Lorcan la conquistó con grandes demostraciones de amor y promesas de una vida futura maravillosa si se iba con él a Omeath. La pareja se fugó y cuando llegaron al Lago Carlingford las gentes de la zona quedaron encantadas con una belleza tan alta y adornada con tantas joyas. La pareja siguió el camino de la montaña hasta que llegaron al Lug u hondonada  situada entre las rocas. Lorcan animó a su prometida a colocarse en el centro del  valle y a mirar alrededor hasta donde le alcanzara la vista, pues él era “Señor de todo lo que ella podía ver”. Cauthleen miró alrededor y su decepción fue tan grande y la nostalgia de lo que había dejado atrás en España fue tan penetrante que cayó al suelo desmayada y murió. Lorcan quedó tan aterrorizado de que la visión de sus umbrosas tierras hubiera causado la muerte a su prometida española que se arrojó en las turbias aguas del pantano en el cruce de caminos. Su cuerpo nunca fue recuperado. Los vecinos sin embargo sí que recogieron el cuerpo de la mujer alta y cavaron una tumba para ella en el “Lug Bhan Fada” (la hondonada de la mujer alta) donde aún yace. Cada persona puso una piedra en la tumba para construir un cairn funerario en el lugar donde duerme el sueño eterno la española, en el hueco de la decepción y las promesas incumplidas. 


Estas son simplemente algunas de las historias, provenientes de unas fuentes con una enorme cantidad de documentación que garantizan que la mayoría de lo aquí relatado está basados en hechos reales, pero incluso dejando a un lado el aspecto misterioso y mítico de las leyendas no puede ser negado que existe un increíble y sin embargo desconocido vínculo entre España e Irlanda que ha existido durante siglos. Es un vínculo rico y variado que merece ser tenido en cuenta por los extranjeros que visitan España provenientes de la Isla Esmeralda. Dejad para el año que viene los destinos más turísticos y modernos y daros una vuelta por el norte de España que os introducirá en una cultura que  os puede resultar vagamente familiar y quizás visitéis lugares, monumentos y gentes que os dejen con una extraña sensación de dejavú. Esto se debe a que todos estos lugares tienen muchas más cosas en común con Irlanda (Norte y Sur) de lo que podíais haberos imaginado!

Bea H.


IN ENGLISH!!!

A Belfast artist having exhibitions in Spain rather than in Northern Ireland may seem strange to some but it might be easier understood when the historical relationships between the two countries are given some attention, especially when it comes to the themes of myths and legends which are a substantial part of Harv's blog.
The second of his summer exhibitions in Spain took place in Madrid and featured a wide and varied range of his paintings in all styles. However a July exhibition in Asturias in the North of Spain was of particularly relevance to everything pertaining to the blog because this event focused solely on the artwork Harv had created for a new book on Northern Ireland Myths and Legends, a tome written by, again of particular interest, a Spanish author Beatriz Guijarro Araque. The book, during one major section, features Myths and Legends associated with these historical relationships between Spain and Ireland!
The many visitors who attended the exhibition, entitled 'Irlanda Del Norte - Mitos Y Leyendas', were very appreciative of the artwork on display, and because each painting featured a description below it in Spanish as to what each image portrayed, it was amazing how the people from the Spanish north land, people from all over the region, Basque Country, Galicia, Navarra, Catalonia to name a few, were able to compare many of the Northern Ireland myths and legendary creatures featured in the artwork to a multitude of those they were already familiar with themselves, but incredibly originating in the north of Spain! The parallels were astounding!
This had been mentioned by the exhibition organisers as to why they wanted to put the display on in the first place, but it was a complete surprise to Harv to hear visitors to the exhibition all being able to talk of their own mysterious beasts, characters and tales from their own parts of Spain while gazing at artwork featuring legendary creatures and stories which, to the artist, purported as all having originated in his homeland of Ulster! The showing of the art was held in a culture centre in Asturias as part of a multi-cultural gathering of artists who live in Spain but who are not native to the country. Harv´s artwork was of particular interest because in the Asturian part of Spain many of the subjects he featured in his Myths and Legends collection could be easily related to by residents from the north of the country, especially those of a superstitious nature, of which, as in Northern Ireland, there are many!
Mermaids, Wolf Men, Bear Warriors, Vampires, Banshees, trolls and demons, are all depicted in Harv's Myths and Legends artwork, and it seems that the North of Spain has it's fair share of their own creatures and characters all very similar to many portrayed at the exhibition, but they are not necessarily evidence of encounters and experiences between Ireland and Spain. The following, however, are events and experiences which do describe how an irrevocable link existed, and indeed exists between the two countries and hopefully then explains why an Ulster man displaying his artwork in Spain is not such an unusual thing after all!
   

THE 'MILESIANS' OR HOW THE IRISH ARE DESCENDED FROM THE SPANISH GALICIANS

Have you ever looked at a friend or someone you know well and thought they have beautiful Spanish eyes or a skin complexion maybe more associated with a more Mediterranean heritage? Even as a result of knowing this person well you are absolutely knowledgeable about their immediate family ancestry, but if you dig a little deeper you might discover that their appearance may be due to a case of them really having Spanish ancestors, even if they don't know it themselves! This is because back in medieval times a nation known as the 'Milesians' are considered to be the last successful invaders of the island of Ireland, and considering the contents of most of this blog it will come as no surprise to learn that these Milesian settlers came from a region known as Galicia which can be found in the north west area of Spain!
The story of the final invasion of Ireland begins with a warrior known as Breogan, who founded the Spanish region of Brigantia. This area is now known as A Coruña and it is a region filled with many myths and legends as well as existing places and monuments of interest such as the famous lighthouse known to this day as the Tower of Hercules. The mighty Breogan had ten children and one of them, a son named named Bile, married and gave him a grandson named Galam, without whom this curious story may not have originated. Before his Irish adventures began Galam travelled to many other nearby parts of the world including Scythia, an ancient part of Europe's north east, where he married the very beautiful Seng,  daughter of King Reffloir who ruled Scythia. Seng gave Galam two children before they realised that the marriage was not working out, they separated and Galam later left for Egypt where he remarried, this time with a Pharaoh's daughter, and with this Egyptian royal princess he had two more offspring.
   Galam received word in Egypt that his grandfather Breogan was seriously ill and right away returned to his Spanish homeland of Brigantia with his immediate family. However he did not make it in time, and upon arriving immediately discovered that his grandfather had died. Further bad news met Galam as he then discovered that the whole region of Brigantia was in a complete and utter state of rebellion and wondering how this could be the case when his father Bile was such a revered and respected warrior he was then hit with the terrible news that Bile had also died in a battle with the rebels while trying to restore order to the land! The rebels, believing they were now free to control the region, had ransacked the place and leaving Brigantia in total desolation. Some dwellers who had remained faithful to the beliefs of Breogan had managed to hide in the woods and it was Galam's main objective at that point to reunite those loyal to his Grandfather, to then stand by the side of Galam reuniting as a major force in the land and then seeking out and destroying the rebels in an attempt to regain the region and bring it back to it's former glory. Under his expert leadership and charismatic dominance  the army of Galam went into battle on all fronts and won every encouter with the enemy which took place, the reputation of Galam and his forces reaching the lives of all who lived in the Brigantia region and they gave him the name of Mile or Miled, which means 'victorious warrior' or, in actual fact 'the exterminator'! For many years after reuniting the tribes he was governor of these Brigantian lands until unfortunately a strange disease which even a fierce and courageous warrior could not defeat took him to another world, giving the rebellious tribes another perfect excuse to rise and cause havoc once again. The sons of Galam were too young to prevent or take to battle during this uprising, they were to become known as the 'Sons of Mil' and would play a major part in the next part of our story which involvesthe Irish connection. 
Ith, their uncle, who was another son of Breogan, very much a scholar more than a warrior and expert in various arts, none of which included war, was one day at the lighthouse known as the Tower of Hercules. There at the top of the monument using instruments of his own invention he was watching the horizon when, due to his development of a particularly powerful viewing device,  he saw a distant island never known to have existed as instruments until that point had not been accurate or powerful enough to see the distance required to discover it. Ith then immediately decided to embark on an adventure to find out what kind of land he had documented. The island was evidently Ireland, which was then known as Inis Ealga and governed by a race called Tuatha De Danaan. These warriors were currently fighting amongst each other for dominance of Inis Ealga, the Ireland they had previous shared peacefully but now wanted to win and rule. Galam's sons, the 'Sons of Mil' were by now powerful Spanish warriors themselves and Ith was sent to the new land of Ireland in order to attempt to not only discover a new culture, but also to try to ensure peace between the two regions once the Tuatha De Danaan then also discovered of Spain's existence. However once he had reached the Emerald Isle the Spanish ambassador Ith was ambushed by three violent kings of the Tuatha De Danaan while on his way to try to reach an agreement with the more peaceful rulers of Ireland and upon hearing of this the sons of Mil were so enraged that peace became secondary to their intent to avenge the death of their uncle and they set about building an armada to invade the new land. They reached the coast of Ireland on May 1st on 500 BC. The Tuatha De Danaan saw them just off shore and witnessing a massive naval attack even for 500 BC standards they panicked into making swift decisions in order to buy time for their druids to perform spells which, to them, would ensure the defeat of the invading Spanish warriors. Using every trick they had they tried to deceive the children of Mil, however Amergin, one of the children, kept their boats away from the shore at a distance of nine waves repelling any spears and arrows, working out the strength of the Irish opposition, discovering that indeed they were more interested in spells that what the Spanish had in abundance, battle awareness and after signalling to the other boats under the command of the Sons of Mil the attack from the sea towards Irish land commenced. In the Spanish region of Galicia today which was previously the area where Brigantia was situated they still preserve some rituals from the era of Galam which are exactly related to the legend of the nine waves, especially in A Lanzada, where young women swim in the sea attempting to jump nine waves on a full moon night, this way attempting to promote the female fertility.
When boats containing the druids of the Tuatha De Danaan parted, apparently frightened of the invasionary force, Amergin took this as an opportunity and a sign that his forces should make their way towards shore where the land battle would begin. The druids thought they had double-crossed the Spanish and from behind them created an almighty storm which they thought would sink their boats before they could get to dry land, but the protection of the nine waves ensured that their efforts were wasted and the Sons of Mil with their mighty army landed in Ireland. The Tuatha De Danaan were by now already weakened by in-fighting and divided they were no match for the Spanish invaders who were motivated by the revenge of their uncle. The Irish warriors were defeated and forced to flee and hide in the areas known to house the Sidhe, seeking santuary within its vast hills.    
The victorious sons of Mil moved to Ireland with all their families and Amergin decided to give the government of these new 'Spanish Lands' to two brothers, Eremon and Eber Finn. They were both appreciative of the gesture of the conqueror but they also did not enjoy the prospect of ruling this new Spanish frontier either together or in turns as Amergin had originally desired. He reluctantly allowed them to settle their differences by dividing the new Ireland into two, a north and south ensuring that both could be classed as ruling at the same time. Many of the Spanish soldiers who helped the Sons of Mil defeat the Tuatha De Danaan remained in Ireland, some went back to A Coruña and word spread of the similarities between this new country and where they were from encouraging much of the Galician population to make their way to Ireland to get a piece of the land which was then being ruled under Spanish authority. This was the last invasion of this kind to happen on Irish soil so what could be deduced from the whole circumstance is that whether they know it or not, much of the current Irish population, north and south, may well be descendants of the Spanish who were the last large foreign force to occupy the Emerald Isle, and even more specifically, descendants of the Galicians!


THE SPANISH ARMADA: THE WRECK OF GIRONA

In May 1588 the Spanish Armada, the largest and most powerful fleet ever seen, left Lisbon in Portugal. The aim of Felipe II in releasing this invasionary force towards the north was an attempt to end the power and rule of Elizabeth I and to then impose and restore the Catholic faith in what had become Protestant England. Under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, the Armada Navy consisted of 130 ships of different types, sizes and nationalities, the sailing army consisting of 29,453 men and an carrying an arsenal of 2,241 firearms of all kinds. They were originally supposed to sail to the Netherlands were they would be joined by troops led by the Duke of Parma, recruit and board these additional soldiers and immediately proceed towards an invasion of England. Unexpected storms, the obvious nightmare of any sea-faring invasionary force, along with lighter English galleons somehow dispersed the unwieldy and largely Spanish Armada. many of the captains and crew were inexperienced in bad weather conditions and many of the ships were fatally damaged or sunk there and then in the sea. Without setting foot on English soil the decision was made to attempt to retreat to Spain, but the way back by a traditional route was now blocked by English warships, and it was decided to sail around the British coastline to the north coast of Ireland and to try to reach Spain along the west coast of Ireland. The bad weather however persisted and the cruel seas and rocks off the rugged Irish coast claimed many of the ships. Even those crewmen who managed to reach dry land were not guaranteed their lives as instructions had been sent to occupying English soldiers in Ireland that they were to put to death any Spanish survivors who made it ashore to ensure they could not attempt to invade England again! Today there are still many wrecks off the Irish coast.
The most famous and impressive shipwrecks of all was the Spanish naval warship known as the Girona, the remains of which are currently located just off off the coast of Portballintrae on Northern Ireland's North Antrim coast. The Girona sank on the morning of October 26, 1588 and was discovered by Belgian marine archaeologist Robert Senuit who was also the world's first 'aquanaut'.
Girona was a galleon driven through the sea by the wind in her sails and and oars of her crew. Able to carry up to 500 men it was the flagship of the fleet of Naples the whole of which was under the command of Hugo de Moncada. The Girona's captain was the Italian Fabrizio Spinola of Geneva and its crew included 120 Spanish officers. The ship, heavily laden was carrying guns and 8,000 pieces of artillery. At the time of her shipwreck Girona was carrying 1,300 men, many from other stricken ships in the defeated Armada, including survivors from other ships such as Don Alonso Martinez de Leiva who was an exceptionally handsome young man described by many in Spain as being very important to its future! Immensely overloaded, Girona hit rocks in cruel seas just off the cliffs along Lacada Point, North Antrim and she sank almost immediately. Tragically only 5 of the crew survived.
The obverse designs of the Ulster Bank banknotes actually feature images associated with the Spanish Armada, commemorating the wrecking of the 24 Armada ships off the coast of County Antrim in that fateful year of 1588. The 10 pound note features the ship Girona. 20 pound note features the chimney at Lacada Point, Giant's Causeway, near Dunluce, County Antrim, where the Girona was wrecked. The 50 pound note features a commemorative medal and the 100 pound note features the actual Spanish Armada.
When Robert Sténuit excavated the wreck-site in 1968, the ship's timbers had been ground to smithereens, but a rich haul of treasure - pathetic gold and jewelled trinkets, badges of rank, religious charms, tenderly inscribed love-tokens, money chains and nearly 1,200 gold and silver coins - showed where the offspring of Spain's 'best' families perished.
The cross of Santiago, of gold enamelled in red, could have belonged to Alonso de Leiva himself. He was a member of the Order of Chivalry of Santiago. The gold salamander, set with rubies, is particularly poignant. It was a talisman favoured by soldiers because the mythical salamander could live in fire. This one survived water, too. All of these precious artefacts are on collective display in a dedicated Girona exhibition within the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

   
THE SPANISH CHESTNUT TREE

In the cemetery of St. Patrick's church in Cairncastle on Northern Ireland's Antrim coast, an old Spanish chestnut tree stands. The twisted and gnarled branches of this mysterious resident contrasts greatly with all the other native trees and the shrubs that grow around them.
Residents of Cairncastle tell the story of a young nobleman who drowned when one of the ships from the Spanish Armada was sunk off the coast of Ballygally in 1588 while trying to escape after the failed Spanish invasion of England days before. The nobleman's body was washed ashore and discovered by local people of the area who quickly buried him in the churchyard of St. Patrick with all the clothes he had been wearing while at sea. If you venture to this graveyard now you will see no headstone commemorating the Spanish officer's burial, and indeed if you ask in any of the surrounding villages or tourist offices they will tell you that the event did not take place and no Spanish sailors rest in St. Patrick's graveyard. But it is undeniable that a Spanish chestnut tree is so out of place in this graveyard that the only explanation for it's existence is the theory that the Spanish nobleman who was recovered from the cruel seas back in 1588 had some seeds in his pockets, perhaps a panic grab from a nearby sack as the ship he was on was sinking knowing he may have to eat them to stay alive, shoving them into his pocket just before going overboard. The Spanish chestnut tree is still there, and some pieces have been analysed in recent times and they date back to the sixteenth century, which gives credence to the original accounts of the nobleman's discovery and burial, a member of the Spanish Armada lying peacefully in a Northern Ireland graveyard.


THE LONG WOMAN´S GRAVE. THE WINDY GAP, OMEATH

The Long Woman’s Grave or “The Cairn of Cauthleen” is the grave of a Spanish noble woman who married Lorcan O’Hanlon, the youngest son of the “Cean” or Chieftain of Omeath. On the death of the Cean he ordered that his lands be divided between his two sons, Conn óg and Lorcan. However Conn óg tricked his brother Lorcan by bringing him up to the Lug or hollow in the mountains at Aenagh, telling him that he would give him the land” as far as he could see”. The mist and the bleakness of the hollow was Loracan’s only legacy. However Lorcan owned a ship and begun trading in the East, making his fortune and becoming prosperous. On one of his voyages to Cadiz, Spain he bravely saved the lives of a Spanish nobleman and his daughter. Lorcan was enchanted by Cauthleen, a descendent of the great O’ Donnells’ of Ulster and fell in love with her. The pair made a handsome couple; she was 7ft tall, only three inches smaller than Lorcan. Cauthleen was already engaged to be married but was wooed by Lorcan’s professions of love and the promises of the good life that they would have back in Omeath. The pair eloped when the couple arrived in Carlingford Lough the locals were enchanted by this tall beauty adorned with jewels. The couple set along the mountain path until they came to the Lug or Hollow in the rocks. Lorcan bade his bride to stand in the centre and look around as far as she could see as he “Was Lord of all she could survey”. Cauthleen looked around, so great was her disappointment and the realisation of what she had left behind in Spain, she fell to the ground and died. Lorcan was horrified that his duplicity had caused his bride to die and flung himself into the murky waters of the marsh at the crossroads. His body was never recovered. The locals found the long woman’s body, and dug a grave for Cauthleen in the “Lug Bhan Fada” (Long woman’s hollow) where she lay. Each person laid a stone on the grave to raise her burial cairn and here she sleeps today in the hollow of her disappointment and unfilled promises.

These are just some of the stories with an incredible amount of written documentation guaranteeing that much of the accounts are based on actual facts, but leaving aside the mysterious and mythical aspects of the legends it cannot be denied that there is an incredible, if largely unknown, relationship between Spain and Ireland which has existed for centuries. It is a relationship which is rich and varied and deserves to be at the forefront of people's minds when they think of visiting Spain, give Benidorm a miss and visit the regions in Northern Spain which will open your eyes to a culture that may seem vaguely familiar, you'll maybe witness places, buildings and people with an enormous sense of deja vu, and this is mostly because those places, buildings and people are more closely associated with Ireland north and south than you had ever previously imagined!

Bea H.