In this episode of Whispering Stones, host Bernice Cooke explores the quiet village of The Neale in County Mayo, a place filled with extraordinary history and mysterious monuments.

Just kilometres from Cong, Cross and Ballinrobe, The Neale sits on a limestone plateau surrounded by archaeological treasures including prehistoric cairns, stone circles, ringforts and crannogs. Yet it is the village’s unusual monuments that truly capture the imagination.

Join Bernice as she uncovers the story of The Neale Pyramid, an 18th-century architectural folly designed by Lord Charlemont, once crowned with a statue of Apollo. Discover the Temple Monument, a Doric-columned retreat built within the old estate walls, and the mysterious carvings known as the Gods of The Neale, featuring mythical figures like a unicorn and griffin.

The episode also touches on Irish mythology and history, including the legendary warrior Lugh Lámhfhada, the Land League movement, and the moment when the term “boycott” first entered the English language at nearby Lough Mask House.

If you enjoy Irish history, folklore, mythology, hidden monuments and the forgotten stories of rural Ireland, this is a place where the stones truly whisper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Whispering Stones, Bernice Cooke explores Murrisk Abbey in County Mayo, a 15th-century Augustinian friary nestled along the shores of Clew Bay beneath Croagh Patrick.
Founded in 1456 and steeped in legend, reform, and Reformation-era upheaval, this medieval Irish ruin may stand on the site of an earlier church linked to Saint Patrick himself.
Discover the stories behind its founders, its striking Gothic features, and the mystery hidden within its name — whether “marsh by the sea” or something far older.
A brief, atmospheric journey into Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and one of Mayo’s most peaceful historic sites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step into the windswept ruins of Moyne Abbey in County Mayo, one of the finest surviving examples of a Franciscan monastery in Ireland. In this episode of Whispering Stones, artist and writer Bernice Cooke explores the abbey’s medieval origins, its links to St Patrick, the powerful MacWilliam Burke family, and the dramatic events that unfolded during the Tudor conquest of Connacht.

From hidden water channels and sacred springs to monks fleeing by sea and bells gifted by the Queen of Spain, Moyne Abbey holds centuries of whispered history within its stone walls.
Discover why this remote ruin near Killala Bay became a centre of learning, faith, and survival on Ireland’s rugged Atlantic coast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Whispering Stones, we explore the haunting ruins of Moore Hall in County Mayo, Ireland — a Georgian manor burned during the Irish Civil War and wrapped in stories of curses, famine relief, rebellion, and restless spirits.
From the powerful Moore family to chilling ghost sightings in the forests around Lough Carra, this episode uncovers the tragic history and paranormal legends of one of Ireland’s most atmospheric abandoned houses.
Perfect for lovers of Irish history, haunted places, folklore, and ghost stories.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover the haunting ruins of Inishmaine Abbey in County Mayo, a once-island monastery on the shores of Lough Mask.
Founded in the 7th century by St. Cormac and later rebuilt as a Benedictine nunnery, this peaceful medieval site holds centuries of Irish history, folklore, and spiritual life.
In this short and atmospheric episode of Whispering Stones, artist and writer Bernice Cooke explores the abbey’s hidden details, imagined beasts carved in stone, and the quiet beauty of this lesser-known Irish heritage site.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the remote coast of Doonamoe, County Mayo, history, geology, and art collide.
In this episode of Whispering Stones, artist and writer Bernice Cooke explores Dún na mBó, an ancient promontory fort overlooking the Atlantic, a dramatic natural blowhole carved by the sea, and a powerful contemporary sculpture marking a Celtic “thin place.”
A short, atmospheric journey along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way where stones still whisper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nestled between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, Cong in County Mayo is a village shaped by water, faith, and folklore.
In this episode of Whispering Stones, artist and writer Bernice Cooke explores Cong’s layered history — from its 12th-century abbey and the exquisite Cross of Cong, to its links with Ireland’s last High King, underground rivers, Oscar Wilde’s family, and Hollywood’s The Quiet Man.
A short, atmospheric journey through one of Ireland’s most enchanting villages, where medieval stones and modern stories quietly intertwine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Whispering Stones, artist and writer Bernice Cooke explores the layered history of Castlebar, the county town of County Mayo. From medieval Gaelic clans and Norman castles to rebellion, famine, industry, and refuge, Castlebar reveals a powerful story of survival and transformation. Discover Barry’s Castle, the Races of Castlebar, the Linen Hall, the Land League, and the remarkable Jewish community that created “Little Jerusalem” in the west of Ireland.
A short, atmospheric journey through Irish history where stones still whisper. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nestled beside Clew Bay, just outside Newport in County Mayo, Burrishoole Abbey has witnessed over five centuries of faith, rebellion, and quiet resistance.

In this episode of Whispering Stones, artist and writer Bernice Cooke tells the dramatic story of a Dominican friary founded by the Burke clan, protected by pirate royalty, scarred by English occupation, and remembered for a miracle that saved a young nun’s life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hidden beneath the rolling green landscape of County Mayo lies Ballintober Abbey, a place where history, legend, and faith have endured for more than 800 years.

In this episode of Whispering Stones, artist and writer Bernice Cooke explores the remarkable story of an abbey founded by kings, shaped by fire and famine, and sustained by a community who never abandoned it — even when its roof was gone for over two centuries.
From the exile of King Cathal Crovdearg O’Conor and the myths surrounding the abbey’s foundation, to the burial of Grace O’Malley’s son and the chilling tale of the priest hunter Seán na Sagart, this episode weaves medieval Ireland, rebellion, devotion, and folklore into one unforgettable place.
A journey through Ballintober Abbey, County Mayo, where the stones truly whisper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.