Ireland: Knowth and Newgrange passage tombs

Knowth and Newgrange rival Stonehenge in their mythical aura of otherworldliness. It is partly their age, which at over 5000 years to hard to grasp for us history deprived Americans but it is also the stability and intricacy of their construction. Their stone carvings, which demonstrate a profoundly advanced knowledge of the lunar cycles, are humbling considering that the average man on the street probably still believes the moon is made of cheese. You can’t help but stand before these structures and not feel awed by the accomplishments of man before the cell phone, before the working of iron, and before the advent of Microsoft Project.

These tombs are an easy bus ride north from Dublin and should be on everyone’s must do list. The visitor’s center at Bru na boinne is world class and comes with a nice cafeteria for the inevitable hunger attack. Since it was positively freezing the day I went, access to warmth and tea was a lifesaver.

Knowth

Kerbed stone. I accentuated the contrast and exposure to bring out the carvings.

Knowth consists of a large mound surrounded by 18 smaller mounds. The large mound’s base is surrounded by large carved kerbed stones while their top is verdant grass that hangs down the mushroom shaped mound like thatch in a Tolkien fantasy. The top of the mound has hosted a church, a village, and even a small fortification, as it lay buried through the ages. It was just a high point on an otherwise flat plane. There are two passages into the tomb, one from either end.

My father looking at a Kerbed stone

Newgrange is architecturally more impressive than Knowth, but a lot that is due to a modern reconstruction effort. You cannot wander at your leisure but must be led into the center of the mound by a guide. Photography is prohibited. The mound itself covers an entire acre and the front contains a dramatic white quartz façade that must have been visible for several miles. On the winter solstice, the sun enters the large rock chamber illuminating the megalithic stone and carvings for just 17 minutes. Standing in that chamber is almost frightening. The weight of stone surrounding you is oppressive and yet it has stood since its construction in 3200 BC. I would like to transport a few of their quality engineers to the future. It may have taken at least 300 people over 20 years to complete the mound. The entrance stone with its circular carvings is also impressive. You don’t pick up a stone that size and toss it in your wagon (if they even had wagons during that era).

Newgrange from the side

If you are on a trip to Dublin, be sure to add Knowth and Newgrange to your list. Its profound antiquity will hammer home the insignificance of the human life while elevating the meaning of humanity.

The front of Newgrange

Other posts from my trip to Ireland:

• Rock of Cashel
• Dingle Pennisula
  

Ireland: Rock of Cashel

Looking up at Cashel and it defensible position

No trip to Ireland is complete without a stop at this unique ruin. A complex of fortresses and cathedrals, it is a hodgepodge of architecture covering many millennia. Home to king and bishop, it contains ruins, palaces, and a wonderful Celtic cross cemetery. It is located in County Tipperary in the south-central part of Ireland.

The round tower

The buildings sit atop a large upthrust of granite with dramatic views of the surrounding plain. It is easy to see why every noble and his brother wanted to live and defend the rock. It is the only high ground around. Unlike today’s interlopers, they did not scrape and rebuild but continually added on so that what remains is a tangle of grey stone only a tour guide can unravel.

The join between Cormac and the Cathedral

I confess I wandered about snapping pictures without a clear appreciation for what I was looking at. I just like ruins. Their antiquity reminds me how far we have come while at the same time their decay reminds me of the fleetingness of power, religious dogma, and wealth. The wonders of the Internet, however, will allow me to describe a few of the features.

Exterior of the Cathedral

Interior of the Cathedral

The 90 ft round tower, the oldest building and dates from 1100. The next oldest is the Chapel of King Cormac, which dates from 1134. This building stands out because its stone is a Rufus brown while the other buildings are slate gray. Still, it easy to miss this chapel since it dwarfed by the Cathedral built in 1270.

Celtic cross cemetery

Standing in this structure one senses the awe the common peasant must have gained by struggling to the top of this promontory and standing within the lofty environs of its sanctuary. Surely such a place would have felt divinely inspired. A brightening of the gray, dull existence of those whose only joy was the thought that heaven promised a better life. The crumbling stone and moss covered crosses tell a different, more painful story. All is dust and inconsequence. Had they known, would they have treated their overlords differently?

Another exterior view

Coming from Colorado, I could not help but enjoy the views of the surrounding plains. There are several younger ruins scattered about within cannon shot but there did not seem to be a way to get there. They stand out starkly against the sweet meadow grasses that are slowly reclaiming the ground on a scale invisible to the human eye.

Other posts from my trip to Ireland:

• Newgrange
• Dingle Pennisula
  

Ireland: Dingle Peninsula

Tags: #travel, #ireland
Other Posts: Newgrange, Rock of Cashel

The colorful boats and buildings of Dingle Ireland

The Dingle Peninsula in southwestern Ireland is a stark place where an unforgiving sea meets an unforgiving land. When the English ruled Ireland, they banished the locals to this zone of harsh and magnificent contrasts. Through tenacity and grit they managed to eke out a living by laboriously dragging sand and seaweed up onto the barren hillsides until they could at least farm the nefarious potato.

Sheep along the coast of Dingle Bay

Dingle coast

In April of 2005, I took my father to Ireland and we stayed in Dingle and drove its narrow byways. I don’t know who was more frightened, my father in the passenger seat or I in the drivers. My side of the very narrow road was bordered by the ubiquitous stone walls while on my father’s side there was the ever present trucks that have invaded this narrow world where traditional Ireland still reigns. A lot of screaming went on in our little car as each of us looked out our respective windows at imminent death.

Rugged coastline

How green the hills

The town of Dingle is a pleasant fishing village, colorful, and friendly. There are pubs, decent restaurants, and lots of salt air to refresh the senses. It was also significantly warmer than Dublin for which I was immensely grateful. You would think someone so intimately familiar with layering as I would have packed better, but I left my down jacket at home. I was more worried about rain and so I dragged along a softshell instead. This was a mistake. I had forgotten how chilly a damp climate can be even when the mercury reads a moderate number.

Blasket Island in the sun

This reminiscence is the result of watching an episode of Rick Steve’s Europe. I opened up the folder on Ireland and started poking through the photographs. Too much time has passed and too little booking keeping has prevented me from labeling each of these with their precise location. Most were taken along at the far edge of R559 between Glanfahan and Dunquin. Hopefully, they will give you a general sense of the area. The island off shore is the Great Blasket Island. Even harsher than the mainland, the government forcibly removed the residents back in the 50s. You can take a boat out to see the ruins, but we did not do this.

Blasket Islands in clouds

As with most travel, it is impossible to see everything in a short 10-day vacation and I regret not exploring up the coast towards Gallway. My father is not a hiker, either, so I will just have to consider returning to the area so I can stroll over the verdant hills. The rocky trails of Colorado should adequately prepare me for the conditions! If the topography of western Ireland appeals to you, I would consider flying into Shannon and staying on that coast. There is much to see.

Here are some links to great travel guides to Ireland. Buy from Amazon and I will get a small commission.