Nothing new about New Grange!

 

This was a day I’d been so looking forward to and I was not disappointed. 

The Neolithic Round ceremonial and burial chambers in the Boyne Valley were constructed in around 3200BC and pre-date both  the Pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England. 

It’s described as having been built by ‘Stone Age farmers.’

 I can no more understand that,  than when I hear scholars suggesting the ‘pyramids were built by slaves.’ When you see the way the chambers have stood the test of time, their construction and the carvings, they must have been built and designed by people with extraordinary engineering and artistic skills. And since such similar constructions appear in Scotland too, were they perhaps designed by itinerant craftspeople? Just wondering out loud. 

All visitors to NewGrange and Knowth, which is part of the same tour, are admitted through an outstanding visitor centre. You have to book your day and your time slot and as places each day are limited. You park, go through the fabulous exhibition 

 

and then are taken on a shuttle bus to your guided tours

I wasn’t the only visitor who thinks this was the best organised tourist attraction to which I have ever been. It was the concensus.

 Dowth and Knowth passage graves are close by and Knowth  is part of the same tour - hence the shuttle buses. 

All this heritage lies on the bend of the Boyne River and was discovered by accident in the 1600’s

I also visited the Hill of Tara on my way back to base. It’s similar, not far from these and has wonderful views over the Boyne Valley. 

Tara has masses of small monuments and was once the political and spiritual centre of Celtic Ireland and the seat of their High Kings. It was free to explore. 

I loved the fact that in setting up the visitors centre for these spectacular chambers, the Irish Government stated that they didn’t just do it for Ireland, but for the World. It was certainly World Class.