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Donegal Sundial
100Kb Photo
The County Donegal Museum at Letterkenny has two dials in it's archives (restricted access - not on display). The photos shows one of these in the shape of an octagon with one point removed and the two sides straightened to give a seven sided shape. This horizontal slate dial measures 435mm across the flats with a 330mm long side. The pierced brass gnomon is 115mm high by 3mm thick with a split noon line to compensate for the gnomon thickness. It was "Cut by Robert Wilson September 9th 1863". The hour lines are contiuous across the plate interupted by an Equation of Time in the form "... Dec 24 CLOCKS FAST Sept 1 CLOCKS SLOW June 15".. etc. carved in relief.

There are four time rings: (1) "Apparent Solar Time for }Lat 54° 55'N Long 7° 36'W" with the hours in Roman numerals, four as IIII. Shows 5a.m. to 7p.m. in 30, 15 and 5 min divisions.(2) Carved underneath Apparent Solar Time is "London Time" This ring reads hours 6a.m. to 7p.m. in Arabic numerals, shows 30 and 15 mins. (3)Carved underneath London Time is "Edinburgh do" This ring reads hours 6a.m. to 7p.m. in arabic numerals, shows 30 and 15 mins.(4)Carved underneath Edinburgh do is "Dublin do" This ring reads hours 5a.m. to 7p.m. in arabic numerals, shows 30 and 15 mins.

There are two rings outside the time rings for the zodiac. The inner ring reads the name of the sign and its symbol e.g."GEMINI II" . The outer ring lines up with the inner and reads the month in full "MAY" etc.

The external ring next to the edge of the plate shows the 32 points of the compass ""N" "NbE" "NNE" "NEbE" etc. each marked with a fletched arrow. The space between each compass point being further subdivided equally into four. The space between this outer compass ring and the points of the dial plate are decorated in an abstract scroll pattern.

The museum is located at
Lat 54° 57' North  Long 7° 44' West
Irish Grid     C   216900    412200

Click here for more info on the County Donegal Museum


If you know the location of a sundial in Ireland (NOT a mass produced DIY Store garden ornament) please email it to me (Click here to email M.J.Harley) - a member of British Sundial Society
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