Dublin, Newgrange, and Glasnevin

May 27-29, 2014

Mom C and MC got up the next day and did the tour at Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells. Afterwards L and I took the bus into town and we met them for lunch at Gallagher's Boxty House in Temple Bar. 

Trinity College

Library where the Book of Kells is located

My favorite restaurant in the Temple Bar area

After lunch L and I had to get back to the house in time for K and T to get home from school. I left Mom C and MC in town for the rest of the day so that they could sightsee. They went to St. Patrick's Cathedral and then they went to the Dublinia Museum. Then in the evening they did the Dublin Bus Ghost Tour...which I had recommended but it sounded like they did not have as good as a tour guide as we did this past fall. Plus it was not dark when they did it...it does not get dark here now until at least 10pm. Yes! 10pm and the days just keep getting longer and longer. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral

This is one of St. Patrick's holy wells

The next day after I dropped the children off at school I battled rush hour traffic and picked up Mom C and MC at the hotel. We were driving out to Newgrange for the day. This is the Valley of the Boyne (Brú na Bóinne) area which is just 30 miles north of the city. You probably remember the Battle of the Boyne in your history classes? This was a very historic battle in 1690 in which the Protestants turned against the Catholics and imposed British rule until the 20th century. 

Newgrange is a prehistoric monument that was built around 3200 BC, during the Neolithic period. This makes it older then Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Newgrange is a large circular mound with a stone passageway and chambers inside. No one really knows what the site was used for, but it was certainly a sacred spot devoted to some kind of Sun god. There are hundreds of these tombs in Ireland but this is the biggest. There are also similar types of tombs like these in Scotland and Wales. 

Entrance into the Newgrange Museum and Tour

these were the little huts that they lived in

Crossing over the Boyne River on the way to take the bus over to the Newgrange tomb

L lovin her "purple bag"

Newgrange

We had a great tour guide who gave her own opinion about the tomb, different theories, etc. It was all very intriguing. During the tour, we squeezed down a narrow passageway to a small circle shaped chamber. Bones and ashes were placed here under the stone and dirt. As the sun rose on the winter solstice, a ray of light crept slowly down the 60 foot long passageway. For 17 minutes, it lit the center of the chamber. We don't really know why they built this to happen this way? Maybe it was the moment when the souls of the dead were transported to the afterlife. 

These mounds also were noted in Irish mythology as "fairy mounds". The Irish are also very very superstitious and this is why the mounds were never touched or ruined. If there was a mound on your property they would just leave it alone (mow around it, put a small fence around it, etc). The passage tomb here was re-discovered in 1699 by the removal of material for road building. A major excavation of Newgrange began in 1962, the original facade of sparking white quartz was rebuilt using stone found at the site. 

There are 12 of these stones that may have been an arc at the
 front of the mound or a complete circle of 35 stones

the back of the tomb with large stones with writing

the writing or "art" on the stones

Entrance into the chamber 

This is the most famous Irish symbol. It is referred to as a Celtic design, but it was
carved at least 2500 years before the Celts reached Ireland. 

These are pictures I got off the internet to show you what it looked like inside the chamber. When I was here in 2009 they let you take pictures inside...not anymore! Ughh!

at the end of the passageway in the chamber

The tour guide turned off all the lights once our group was inside and she demonstrated what would happen during the winter solstice if you were inside the chamber. It is pretty amazing and neat to think that they built this so that the chamber was lit on a certain day. Amazing! After the tour we went to Malahide Castle and had a quick lunch at the Avoca Cafe at the castle. 

Malahide Castle

Entrance to Avoca Cafe

After lunch I drove them around Malahide for a little while which is such a cute village on the water. Its also where a lot of wealthy people live. Then we drove through Swords village and showed them the old church and castle. Then I drove back to the house because the children would be home. They were both walking back from school so I did not have to collect them that day. Our plan was to make dinner so we could all eat together but we had such a late lunch...we were not hungry at all. So we just sat around for awhile...drank tea and coffee! We took a walk up to the local Glasnevin Cemetery. Which honestly I think is such a beautiful cemetery...we take walks up there often and the children like it. Its were many famous people were buried and many of my relatives were buried there also. I will do a post on that another time! If I ever get caught up with this blog. Ha! I think Mom C and MC really liked the cemetery. When we got back from our walk I fed the children a really quick dinner and brought Mom and MC back to their hotel for the night. 

L likes to pray at the tombs...its sooo cute!

The next day Mom C and MC got up early and toured the Guinness Brewery. Nothing more Irish then tasting beer before noon! Then they toured the Kilmainham Goal and did loads of shopping. After the children got home from school I fed them an early dinner and met up with Mom C and MC for dinner at The Church....finally an adult dinner with adult conversations! yeah! We had a great night and after dinner we went down to the Temple Bar area for a drink. Every bar was packed down there that night. We finally found a seat at Gogarty's outside. 

The three of us on our night out in town!

We had a fun night talking and people watching! Then I got the last bus from town back to Glasnevin! Fun-due night!