Awesome & Ancient
One of my must-sees in Ireland is Newgrange, the 5,000 year old neolithic tomb complex northwest of Dublin in the preternatural Boyne Valley. I took the Mary Gibbons Tour, which also includes the Hill of Tara. Mary is the guide and is very knowledgeable and has a charming Irish humor. The hill offered wonderful views of the Irish countryside. However, we were warned that the view might become spoiled if a proposed highway were to be constructed nearby. Such is the sad price of progress. In Iceland projects are sometimes denied because they might interfere with the lives of Huldufolk, or elves. Surely, this mystical center of Irish culture should also be afforded some protected status. While enjoying the spectral landscape while I still could I eventually arrived at Newgrange which was beyond amazing! I actually got to go inside the prehistoric old burial chamber of this stone age tomb. If you’re claustrophobic this is not for you. The pathway was tight and low, and during the visit the lights are off for a spell. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. Once inside the tomb is lit for everyone to see the details of the venerable place. Later, the lights are turned off except for one that is angled as if it were the sun peering in from an opening during the Winter Solstice. I got chills! The sense of timelessness is unforgettable. It is really a very special place where you feel the majesty of the cosmos. Apparently twenty lucky people get to experience this phenomenon naturally during the Winter Solstice every year. What a great Christmas gift! It is on my bucket list. Older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids, the people who created it and similar tombs are a mystery, but you had to respect their engineering skills, as out of only earth and stone they created a tomb that has been completely waterproof for 5 millenia. No small feat in rainy Ireland! The tour returns you to Dublin, with goosebumps, inspired by the ancient wisdom.