Ireland Road Trip – Day 1

This morning we bid our farewells to Dublin as we headed out on the driving part of our Irish adventure.  We picked up the car at the airport as that is our final end point and headed off.  I’m the designated driver and this is my first time driving on the left side of the road.  I very quickly learned it is a good thing that we have a very small car (Yaris hatchback).  As our purpose in having the car is to be able to get to remote and interesting places we are avoiding taking major highways.  Unfortunately this translates that we end up taking the winding, narrow little lanes.

First stop was Monasterboice which is the ruins of a very early monastery now picturesquely situated in a cemetery.

Monasterboice – One of the best preserved Celtic crosses

Monsterboice – monastic ruins

Next stop was Newgrange which is one of three co-located megalithic ‘passage tomb” dating from around 3200 BC.  For thousands of years is was abandoned and blended into the hill side.  Many cool things about it but two biggest for me – 1) the vaulted ceiling which is made of concentric circles of overlapping massive stones which for a domed room.  The roof supports 220,000 tonnes of earth and has not leaked in 5000 years.  I’d like to see a modern roofer beat that!  And 2) there is a window above the main door that on the winter solstice the rising sun runs along the passage and into the main chamber lighting it up for 17 minutes.  Oh also really cool was the decorations with the swirling spirals which are exactly like the ones I saw in Malta.

Boyne river passing below Newgrange

Aerial view of Newgrange (from a postcard)

Inside the tomb on the winter soltice

Newgrange passage tomb (from a postcard)

The entrance with the stone decorations with the spirals

The view from the Tomb down to the Boyne river

After Newgrange we took a very winding and often illogical route to the Hill of Tara curtesy of the GPS we got with the car.  Not sure what maps it’s using but it got us there eventually.  We used my phone initially for directions but it ate the battery too much – it will be a back up.

The Hill of Tara was very majestic and very very windy.  It is a high peak from which you can see the surrounding country.  Legend has it that when the true king of Ireland touches the stone it screams.  Didn’t do it for me.  I loved the wind and the majesty of the view.

The top of the Hill of Tara

I found sheep – but they had already been sheered

A tree where people leave offerings.

We then made a beeline for Athlone where we are staying tonight in a B&B.  This is pretty much the halfway point between Dublin and Galway.  It is a pretty town and we very much enjoyed our dinner of lovely fresh cod (sorry I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture!).