Adventures of Beth and Dan: Partly Cloudy Dear Dublin!

Into port we glided smoothly around 8 am. One of the great things about a window or balcony is that you have the option of parting those heavy curtains and letting the oceanside fill your room with magic, wonder, and a new view around every turn. We stay late in Dublin, Northern Ireland. Our tour guides in the Irish Republic always wanted to be truthful about their neighbors and relatives to the north. My feeling is that forever they will want peace and a soft border. They don’t wasn’t to lose lives over beliefs both religious and political.

Dublin is the capital and most populated city of Ireland. Originally it was named Baile Arja meaning town of the hurdled ford in Gaelic. It was originally founded as a Viking settlement in the 9th century. One of the sites visitors like to take inis to view the Book is Kells which was written around 800 AD. It had been on display in the Old Lubrary at Trinity College since the mid 19th century. The book is separately bound into four volumes of which two are viewable to the public.

Dublin Castle is also a must see for many visitors. It was founded as a major defensive work following the Norman invasion of 1169. There are also plenty of beautiful use catching parks to be found well within the city limits.

We had a full day planned here with another tour arranged by Charlene from California. The tour company is Day Tours Unplugged. Our driver was a very educated fellow with three older children that he spoke about. His wife is getting her PhD in clinical psychology and he seemed like he could have been going down the same route with his unusual way of “guiding” us on this tour. He had a strange way of asking more questions of us than providing information to us.

Our first stop on this wet, chilly morning was The Newgrange Passage Tomb. We were guaranteed entrance into this Unesco World Heritage Site. The monument site only allows 600 visitors a day and next year they will decrease the number by half! The Newgrange tomb is a Stone Age passage tomb dating back to 3,200 years B.C. and covers 249 feet in a circular fashion with a heavy massive stone foundation and earthen mound. It is an ancient monument in the Boyne Valley. It is one of those places that will stir emotions within you when you experience it and create more questions than answers. They say it is arguably one of the finest monuments of European pre-history. It was built during the Neolithic or New Stone Age by a wealthy farming community that prospered in the rich lands of this valley. It predates the ancient pryamids by 400 years and Stonehenge by 1000. The cremates remains of the dead were laid on large stone basins inside the chamber which typically were accompanied by grave goods. Five cremations were found in the tomb. In 1699 the entrance to the tomb was found by accident. Carbon dating shows that most individuals lived only till 35 years of age. Many suffered from osteoporosis and dental problems. The Battle of Boyne occurred in 1690 and the English took over. One of the positives of the British occupation was that they built roads and were good road builders! The original occupants lost their lands and the English began taking stones from the mounds for the roads which is how the entrance was discovered.

1967 the government came in to excavate the areas around the mounds and reconstructed them using original stone. Base stones are the original but the base level was covered with metal to help preserve them and several of the highly decorated stones. 60% of Europe’s Neolithic art is found here!!

Interpreting the stone carvings is difficult as there is no standard reference to draw from but some suggestions include possibly being a map with the original graves, symbolic of a river, etc.

Your tour is fully guided and each guide is careful to prepare you for the narrow tight descent into the chamber. At dawn on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year (December 21st) a shaft of sunlight enters the chamber through a specially designed opening over the doorway which for a brief amount of time illuminated the chamber. Not much is really known about the people or their rituals. The stones that are supporting the mounded structure are huge! Several are highly decorated and carved. We wondered how these Neolithic humans knew about the shortest day of the year; what if that day was cloudy? and how did the construct something so exacting forcthe sunlight to enterst this angle? The huge mounded structure must have taken decades to construct let along plot out and come up with such precise plans.

We were here approximately 90 minutes. Our groups were no larger than 12 people with guides who were Failte approved through the country. The visitor center was not available to us as it is being remodeled but the walkway to the mound crossed a fast flowing river and the grounds were beautiful.

Cemetery was really center of a town

Cross was in the town. High Cross is an aide to shaping the people. Christian circle

Four holes ? Seasons. Many thoughts on what the symbols mean. Maybe the circle of life?

Holds the arms up?

Words were testimony to Murdock an Abbott. a wealthy man. Universities were here. Great communities places of peace

Maybe the of crucifixion of Christ

Serpent evil? Or shedding of skin new birth?

This cemetery has changed in elevation

Cemetery has graves planted with heads to east feet to west

New Grange faces east

Oldest burial is 10th century

Our next stop was Hill of Tara. This stop was a little more confusing for us as our guide told us little about it on the way there. I think he wanted to “accompany” us through the various markets but the weather was pushing black heavy clouds our way and several of us opted to do a self guided tour and avoid another downpour while in the fields.

Royalty occupied the Hill of Tara for well over 2000 years. In this cultural and political heart of Ireland they celebrated a great “Feis” or fair, festival: at this celebration they discussed and revised laws and rules of the land. This location was an ideal spot to build a palace and in time five ancient roads of Ireland converged here. The surrounding countryside is considered to be one of the richest pasture lands in the whole of England.

Another aspect of this area is the Hill of Slane. St Patrick has become synonymous with things Irish from shamrocks to the shortage of snakes on this island. Saint Patrick came to convert Ireland’s Celtic pagans. He did this with great symbolic flare. As the Druids celebrated their feast day on the Hill of Tara Patrick preparedthe Easter feast on the Hill of Slane. He lit his paschal fire at Slane before the Druids could kindle their sacred fire at Tara. Seeing the flames at Slane the Druids warned their high King that if Patrick’s fire was not put out immediately it would burn forever in Ireland. The rest as they say is history. We couldn’t understand all that there is to know about the significance of this community other than it was very old, preserved as best as could be and designated significant importance in Irish history and culture.

We passed several stone towers. Our guide mentioned that they were not built by the Irish and that they were not lived in or used for protection. Another theory is that they held important documents or items that were to be protected. Towers were built in 10th century. The door is up 15 ft up high so wasn’t accessed regularly.

Our driver took us to a quaint restaurant which served great homemade soups and sandwiches and we enjoyed a break talking with locals and filling our stomachs with fresh delicious bites.

Our last stop was Monasterboice one of Ireland’s High Crosses. This is one of Irelands best known and earliest religious sites. We enjoyed the guided walking tour with our driver amongst the remains of two churches, Round Tower, three High Crosses and a pre Gothic sundial. Founded in the 5th century by St. Buite, the monsastery became a renowned seat of learning and art. The cemetery was really the center of a town. Th Cross was in the middle of the town. town. The purpose of the High Cross is to serve as an aide to shaping the people. The Christian circle could have been symbolic of many things...Four holes could be the four seasons? Many thoughts on what the symbols mean. Maybe the circle of life?

Words were testimony to Murdock an Abbott and a wealthy man. Universities were housed here. Great communities were places of peace

Maybe the of crucifixion of Christ is portrayed on the High Crosses as there is symbolic references in the carvings.

Was the Serpent evil or shedding of skin to represent new birth? The Cemetery has graves placed with heads facing to east and feet to west . New Grange faces east and the oldest burial marker is from the 10th century.

The most impressive cross is The Cross of Muiredach standing a massive 17ft 8 inches. The cross clearly depicts scenes from the Bible carved in Stone over one thousand years ago. The cemetery and scenery drew reverence from me and many others. The feeling you experience is peaceful yet historically terrifying when you think of the battles people went through to keep their beliefs along with sickness and disease.

Our guide, Damian O’Reilly, has us back to the port with plenty of time to enjoy a bit of time at the port. Most of our ports havefre internet available which is a life saver for the crew who spend up to 9 months away from their homes and families. Most also have souvenirs and some necessities which adds to mingling with the locals and possibly picking up something that catches your eye and opens your wallet!!

Heading to the tomb passage

All the base foundation stones are original!

The view from the mound.

Here is the passage entrance. No photos are allowed inside

Sheep are plentiful in Ireland and speckle the landscapes which are lush and emerald in color.

The huge mound!

So much rainfall has swollen the rivers that we pass over to get to the mound .

The cemetery, the center of this old town, and a tower here along with several High Crosses

Intricate carvings. People used to hug the Crosses hoping for a blessing but they are no longer allowed and have taken a toll on the Crosses over time slowly destroying their carvings.