Touring, Tombs and a Transvestite!

After a quiet week, taking it gently due to my mishap the previous week, we waited the arrival of Vicky and Eileen Wallace. Eileen is in Dublin to be part of a one night Irish dancing show "Take  the Floor" after being selected from dancers from around the world. Rehearsals started Monday, so we had the weekend to allow them to settle in before Eileen was off for this magnificent opportunity.

At the Ferocious Mingle Market

We managed to fit in a bit of shopping and a visit to the Ferocious Mingle Market on Sunday. This is a quirky vintage market with a touch of the eccentric and, because it was Sunday, stall holders dress up. We bought a couple of books. One Vicky found that she said was a great book was called Man and Boy.  But looking a little longer, she found the book she actually had enjoyed - Boy and Man. What was the chance of finding those two books on one second hand bookshelf? So we bought them both. There was supposed to be music that started at 1 pm but like all things Irish that does not necessarily mean 1 pm and so we left the Mingle Market without listening to the music.

Sand sculpture

Then we headed off to the sand sculptures at the neighbouring Dublin Castle and stumbled across Furlong and Kehoe, the ice cream shop where we tried ice cream flavours such as Guiness, bacon and maple syrup and  beetroot and chocolate.
Once Eileen was dropped off on Monday, David, Vicky and I set off to explore Newgrange, one of the most famous Neolithic sites (5000 years old) in Europe, which is north of Dublin. We had hired a car for the day to take us to Bru an Boinne (The Boyne Valley) as the Newgrange region is known in County Meath .

We went on the David Officer tour, which took us firstly to a place called Monasterboice. This is in a rural area close to the coast, dates back to the 6th century and is known for its elaborately carved Celtic cross, one of the largest in Ireland

Monasterboice

Amongst the ancient ruins, there are also new graves. The cemetery was alive with colour as flowers are regularly put on the graves. We came across a man standing before a newer grave that he was tending and that was decorated with marble figurines and words such as sister and friend. I asked him if the grave was special to him and he proceeded to tell us about his daughter who had died aged 12 in 2008. She loved to sing and had been in her school concert when she had fainted and in his words "was dead before she hit the floor". He said her heart just stopped beating. His story has stayed with me and moved me greatly.
The David Officer tour then took us to Mellifont Abbey, the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland,  and then on to Knowth. Knowth and Newgrange are the sites of one of the worlds most important archaelogical discoveries and is a truly amazing place.

Knowth

On top of the Knowth mound

Neolithic art, Knowth

A World Heritage Site, prehistoric passage tombs are spread across the landscape and these mounds reveal the oldest surviving traces of human activity (www.newgrange.com). The tombs at Knowth are spectacular because of the elaborate carving (Neolithic Art) on the massive kerbstones. Newgrange is impressive as an engineering feat as every year at the shortest day of the year, a single beam of light penetrates into the central chamber of the tomb. My words don' t do justice to this area.

Newgrange

How the huge kerbstones were moved across the landscape to this area can only be surmised.

Hill of Tara

On our way back home, we went via the Hill of Tara, one of the most sacred sites in Ireland.  From there you are supposed to be able to see 23 counties of Ireland. Sitting in the car for the day did mean I arrived home feeling very tender, but am determined a few cracked ribs won't spoil my time here.     Anne

PS Have returned from a night at the local pub where we played Crazy Bingo hosted by Annie Balls. Well... What can I say.... Nothing!