On a recent trip to Ireland we found ourselves in a rented Nissan Micra headed up to Drogheda from Dublin. Our destination was the visitors center for the Newgrange ancient burial mound complex. Why would we want to see this?
- It is 1,000 years older than Stonehenge.
- The main chamber aligns with the sun on the winter solstice, illuminating a burial chamber along the back wall for only a few moments a year.
- It's gorgeous (said in a terrible Irish accent).
- It's part of the Brú na Bóinne complex of Neolithic structures in the Boyne River Valley. There are several visible burial mounds from Newgrange alone. You can visit a few others from the visitors center although Newgrange is the only one you can enter inside.
- It is nestled amidst working farms in this beautiful valley that has been inhabited for thousands of years (repetitive, I know).
- It is within driving distance of Dublin. It is also incredibly close to several other noteworthy sites in eastern Ireland.
- The inner chamber has a huge corbel-ed dome that is the largest Neolithic dome in the world.
- We got there so early we greeted all the workers as they walked into work. Everyone was really nice and once it opened we got on the first bus over to the site. We were never rushed but we didn't sit around and wait either.
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| Triple Swirl Art! |
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| Me :) |
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| Entrance to the burial chamber |
