Something Old and Something Older

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In researching for this trip, I learned about a World Heritage Site called Newgrange, located roughly half way between Dublin and Dundalk. It is a man-made mound with an inner chamber that pre-dates the Pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge in England. I thought that it was worth a visit. Wow! The visit experience could have justified the entire trip.

I had read that tours can fill up for the day during the summer, so I headed over to the site first thing this morning. You can't go directly there, but have to start at a visitor center. At the center a receptionist asked if I wanted BOTH the Newgrange and Knowth tours - obviously I had not researched this place carefully enough. I took both. We started at Knowth, which was built after Newgrange, but is much more complex and reflects some six thousand years of ongoing human activity. There is a huge mound in the center with numeerous mounds around it. If interested, you can find a lot of wonderful details at knowth.com/knowth Some quick facts - the large mound is one of the largest in Europe, the corridor leading to one of the two chambers in the large mound IS the longest in Europe, the megalitihic artwork on the huge stones at the site represent 33% of all existing megalitic artwork. Pretty impressive.

Newgrange is a single mound located on an adjacent hill. It is about the same size as the main mound at Knowth and has one chamber. This one can be entered on the tour. After some bending and squeezing through the long corridor (at a few points dearly wishing that I had knocked off an extra 10 pounds before venturing in), I came into a circular chamber with a very high beehive sort of ceiling - the original 5000+ year structure. At the entrance to the mound, the guide pointed out a "window" just above the entrance. Once in, she demonstrated how we had actually walked up parallel to that window and how the winter solstice sunrise looks shining into the chamber. What a thrill to stand in such an ancient wonder of engineering, artistic expression, and demonstration of sheer human determination. (After building the stone chamber, they covered the whole thing with tons of stone, sand, and dirt so that it looks like a grassy hill. They did such a good job that water doesn't get into the chamber.) This has now moved onto the list of coolest things that I have ever experienced.

It is doubtful that Margaret Campbell would have ever visited Newgrange, and certain that she - nor the rest of the world - would have known about Knowth back then. Living in County Louth in and/or near Dundalk, she most definitely would have known about the Cooley Mountains which can be seen from the city. They form a peninsula right at the northern border of the Republic of Ireland. Across the Cooley Bay is the range known as the Mountains of Mourne (as in the old Irish song where the writer declares that he would rather be "where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.") These are very ancient, weathered mountains with soft curves and harsh crags that reflect the passage of years. Visiting the mountains was the next stop.

The drive along the Cooley Peninsula is lovely. I'm getting better at feeling where the left side of the road is, and loving the freedom that driving affords me. The main town in the area is Carlingford - a charming medieval city complete with a ruined castle once claimed by King John. The walk along the bay restores the spirit - much like Blackrock to the south. It could be pleasant to live in this area. It is not unreasonable too think that Margaret Campbell would have visited here on holidays and found joy where the mountains meet the sea.

Tomorrow on to Killarney ....

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Photos

Carlingford Cooley Peninsula
The foreground buildng was a medieval mint where they made their own local coins.

Comments

[Mike]

Great...
Now I want to go to Ireland just to check out Newgrange and Knowth. Hope you got to take pictures inside. Also, if the photos won't work on this site, you can create an album and post them on Facebook. Then you can put the link to the album in your blog.

[Kathy Grabler]

Ancestors
Hi Dianne, sure is fun reading about your search for your ancestors, and seeing the places where they lived. Keep blogging because we can all share in your adventures. I am glad you are enjoying your visit to Ireland, especially the good weather. My aunt went to Canada looking for the places that my family lived but never found it - in province of Saskatchewan. They homesteaded in the wilderness and I think it is still a wilderness. Ireland sounds much more interesting.

[Nancy]

Hello
Hi Dianne, I so enjoy reading about your adventure through Ireland. You're amazing. No fear while driving through the countryside and/or squeezing inside a small chamber...kudos to you my dear! Believe it or not, Morton Grove has gotten much needed rain this week. Everything is fine at your house. Lincoln can't seemed to understand where Dianne is hiding everyday when we walk over to visit. To be honest, the little stinker took a small tomatoe from garden, sorry. Dashing off to the back doctor for a little alignment this afternoon. I do hope I'll feel better tonight. Planning to take my mother in-law Starlight Theatre (Willmette Lakefront) to see the Broadway Musical "Brigadoon". Be safe & have a lot of fun!!