Showing posts with label Newgrange. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newgrange. Show all posts

Saturday 27 July 2013

The Boyne Valley and Knowth, Co. Meath

When Leo came to visit my home, I took the opportunity to show him all the places in Meath that I'm proud of, you know, showcase the best my county has to offer.

And it turns out that Meath is beautiful. On the sunniest days we've had in years, everything looked fantastic. The fields were overflowing with ripe crops, the sun was in the sky, the horses and cows looked their best, and, of course, the neolithic tombs we have littered around the area were looking their very best. Not to brag, but Meath is fantastic.

We arrived too late in the day for a trip to Newgrange tomb, so we went to Nowth, the lesser known of the three sites, the third being Dowth.

The visitors centre may be great for the economy of the area, with Americans and Europeans flocking by the tour bus, but for those favouring a more authentic experience, the obligatory shuttle bus and guided tour of the sites is tiresome.

Newgrange

Passage in Knowth











After our visit to Knowth, we visited the site of the Battle of the Boyne, where in 1690 some colonisers fought for their right to Irish land. Can you smell the cynicism? I'm not a fan of these stories of colonial muscle flexing, the site of cannons and reconstructions of battle scenes do not excite me, they make me slightly angry. The less said about the political side the better, but the lush fields are definitely a must-see if in the area, and the tea gardens are gorgeous.

Painting of the battle by Jan Wyck c. 1693


Knowth and Newgrange are UNESCO world heritage sites, older than both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids. 

Wikipedia entry on Knowth
The official page of Knowth
Battle of the Boyne information page

There's a lot more to Ireland than Dublin, Galway and the Ring of Kerry, you know ;)