Ireland Turas Contae Meath

A few days into our trip we took a tour of the Irish countryside, mostly in County Meath, north of Dublin.

First we visited a pair of ancient Neolithic tombs; a big affair at New Grange, and then a smaller tomb at Four Knocks. These were burial chambers thousands of years old and in the case of New Grange, aligned with the sky so that once every year the rising sun would stab a ray of light through the central chamber.

Four Knocks was much smaller than New Grange and one had to drive a bit down the road to get the key from a nearby farmer.

We looked for Hobbits but saw none

Later we visited Tara, just off the Irish coast and former home of Irish kings, including the O'Neill's, of which we are an inducted member.

From there we went to Castle Trim, where part of Braveheart was filmed. Much of the walls were ruins but the central abbey still stands. The castle was most imposing in the Celtic gray sky. 

There's a painting for you.

Beware of homosexual lover defenestration

After that we made a quick stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Drogedha, Ireland. A midsized town of stone buildings and narrow streets on the River Boyne. St. Patrick's stunned. Also it contained the head of Catholic martyr St. Oliver Plunkett, which a certain young man in our party was most eager to see.

No head just ceilings

Overall, this was the Irish countryside one expects. We drove along narrow, winding, one lane roads past lush greenery and loam rich fields. These were filled with squire farmers, working slow and steady, anticipating their dinner of stew and raw milk, washed back with pitchers of Guiness. Oh Will Danaher you...Heh, that Ireland is gone. In fact the driver knew enough that when we did pass one thatched-roof cottage, he slowed so that his silly Yank charges could take pictures.