On our first full day in Ireland we set off to discover Ancient Ireland.
At Bru na Boinne, a beautiful visitors center in County Meath, we were introduced to "Old" like we'd never known before! Here we purchased our Heritage Pass, giving us entrance to these exhibits and many more throwout the Republic of Ireland. We scheduled tours for two of Ireland's best-known prehistoric monuments, Newgrange and Knowth.
From the visitors center buses are driven to each of the ancient burial mounds and very informative tours are given by friendly Irish natives.
At Newgrange we were able to enter the 59 foot long passage that leads to a small cross shaped room. This room is completely dark all year, except for 5 days in December, when during the Winter Solstice, a ray of sunshine enters the passage for 17 minutes.
It was absolutely mind boggling to be in a structure created over 5000 years ago! That's long before the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge.
Between tours we ate a small picnic lunch of bread and Nutella purchased the day before.
At Knowth we climbed the prehistoric mound and saw 360 degree views of the Boyne river and valley. The passageway has collapsed in places so tours do not go inside far, but the children enjoyed demonstrating how their escape tunnels worked.
Next Stop: The Hill of Tara
Before exploring the beautiful countryside we watched a great movie describing the history of this remarkable piece of land. Not much remains of this mystical area, but legend has it that the High Kings of Ireland toughed this stone, so the kings of our family had to follow suit.
Grooves in the ground, placed there centuries ago, make for good fun.
We spotted a "fairy tree" where people leave trinkets and wishes to be received by the fairies.
A statue of St. Patrick stands at the bottom of the hill. The popularity and power of Christianity changed everything and the High Kings were no more.
After immersing ourselves in historical data and views beyond comprehension we drove on to County Galway. In a little town by the name of, Craughwell, the most wonderful Bed & Breakfast can be found!
The kids ran around and explored to burn off the energy retained during the hours of driving. Across the street from Craig Country House we found some curious horses. .
The proprietors were away when we arrived so they left the key in an envelope taped to the front door and a welcoming note.
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