May 15 – Newgrange and the Village of Trim

Today is sunny and actually almost warm.  Probably the best weather day we have had in our five weeks in Ireland.  

Have you ever seen rape seed plants (for canola oil) in bloom? Vivid, vivid yellow.

We headed out today with Newgrange as our major destination of the day.  Newgrange is a 5,200 year old passage tomb located in the Boyne Valley in what is referred to as Ireland’s Ancient East.  It is 93 yards in diameter and 15 yards high and covers an area of about an acre.

We booked a tour (only way to visit the tomb) and took the group bus out to the site where we were met by our guide.  The entire mound is ringed by 97 “kerb stones” that range from two to ten tons in weight.  

The kerb stones are all still in place and some of them were carved with megalithic art.  For a portion of the mound the wall above the kerb stones were constructed of white quartz stones and round granite river boulders.  The white walls had toppled over the thousands of years but the stones were still on the ground surrounding the mound so they were able to be restored.  The site looks almost new.

The tour took us into the long passage that led into the main central chamber of the tomb and the three adjoining small chambers.  Rocks in the chamber were decorated with carvings (no photos allowed).  Above the entrance opening was a “roof box” that was like a transom window.  On Winter Solstice the dawn light shines through the window and lights the chamber.  Pretty cool.

A stone with carving

There was also a stone ring circle near the mound.  Only a few of the stones remain.

During our drive we stumbled across Slane Castle…a pretty magnificent castle.  We stopped in hopes of taking a tour but the next tour wasn’t for a couple of hours so we decided to head on.  The castle grounds has a giant natural amphitheater and they hold rock concerts here…with up to 80,000 attendees.  Great money maker.

From there we drove to the town of Trim…

home of Trim Castle, the largest Norman castle in Ireland.  Trim Castle was built in the 1100’s.  The outer walls of the keep looked to be in pretty good shape and portions of the curtain walls were still intact.  It was a great looking castle…good enough that the makers of the movie “Braveheart” used it as a filming location.

We arrived in Dublin late afternoon.  Our hotel in Dublin is on the opposite side of the Liffey from the one we stayed at a month ago.  We are quite close to the Spire.