On a very bright, clear day we headed north to see Newgrange – the sight of a 5000 year old burial mound. Archeologists are not really sure how this was used, but suspect that it was a passage grave, to help lead the deceased on toward their life after death. Very similar concepts to the pyramids in Egypt (though it predates them). The mound is essentially a corbelled structure of stone, each subsequent layer overlapping the next until a single capstone sat on top. The structure is and has been watertight for all those years. Above the entrance door, there is a small open shelf that admits light into the chamber on the Winter Solstice. Other than that, there is no natural light entering the structure. On the tour they simulate the effect of the winter solstice sun. The picture on the left is the central chamber as it would be lit at the solstice. There is a 10 year wait to gain admission during the solstice. We don’t think we’ll be here that long!

Please note that all these pictures were from postcards, as we did not fly over these areas for the aerial shots, nor were we able to properly capture the light in the chamber!

We also visited the Hill of Tara, famous for the ancient ring forts of the Kings of Tara. All that is left now are the mounds of earth indicating where the fortresses stood. Once there, you can easily tell why the fortresses where built here – the view from the top of the hill (only about 500 feet high) extends for miles in 360 degrees! Definitely a strategic position.

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