Thursday, March 10, 2016

Hill of Tara

Hill of Tara, a place which was in use for 3 millennia and more, is a huge and subtle site. It's hard to tell exactly what you are looking at. There are huge earthworks. The site has parts which were built in various times such as early and late prehistory, the stone, iron and bronze ages. It was where the high kings reigned and is said to be the seat of the Tuatha de Danann, who are also known as Ireland's Sidhe or Faery. It's high on a hill, very green and relatively isolated and quite large. Truly they don't know what any of it was exactly although there are parts which appear more ritual and others more defensive. Then there are the legends and stories. Altogether a fascinating set of ideas. 



Panorama trying to take it in. 

I don't think I'm going to make the Irish session tonight much as I'm very tired still even after a 4 hour nap. 

I did finally get some money and figured out a SIM card for my phone. And parking. It is ridiculous how proud I am that I've managed not to make any mistakes. 

Bru na Boinn and beyond

I must've been seriously tired as I slept 12 hours last night. I was asleep by 8, and didn't have dinner either. This morning I went over to Bru na Boinn which is an ancient site with aspects of it dating back to the Neolithic people, and other parts that came later. The site is older than the pyramids and encompasses three major and about 30 smaller monuments. They call them passage tombs and Newgrange is one of the finest that you can still go into. Building it was a feat for the times and it includes rock from far away (like Wicklow, which is in southern Ireland). It also has 10+ ton kerbstones, about 60 of them, which were brought from 20 km away and rolled up the hill. Some of these are carved: 




They don't allow photography inside. Really it is a miracle they allow people inside. Inside is a passageway, at times very narrow and low (had to duck and squeeze--but so did everyone) to a central chamber with three smaller alcoves. It's cuneiform shape, not unusual. What is amazing is that it is perfectly aligned so the sun comes into it and penetrates all the way to the end a few days a year at winter solstice. They mimic this with electric light so you can get a sense of what it's like. Also the chamber has a high, vaulted ceiling made of corbeled stones set in a spiral shape. Stones are also angled to shed water, and grooved. The ceiling is amazing, trust me. There's some lovely carvings as well. 

From there I went to Drogheda, a nice town. Then to Monasterboice, monastic ruins dating from pre-521, as its founding saint, Boice, died that year. There's also a church of "little interest" from the 13th century...oh to have so many sites that one can be of little interest! I suppose it is like Egypt in that there's so many one takes it for granted or loses all interest. Except that Ireland seems to take much better care of them. The really old interesting remains are three gorgeously carved crosses which aren't even terribly worn away by weather. They are called scriptural crosses because the imagery is from scriptural stories. There's also a round tower, burnt in 10 something. 





The small structure to the right of the cross is the uninteresting one. 


Boy I look grumpy! This is the door to the uninteresting structure which is barely my height, as was the door to the tower. 
I found it interesting that the graveyard is still in use and has many lovely flowers planted in it. Irish graveyards are much more interesting that the American ones I have been in--graves are everywhere, every which way, and gloriously different and flowered. 

From there I drove to the coast and north to Carlingford, a medieval town with super narrow streets and tightly packed buildings. Dinner at a pub with a glass of Guinness...even more delicious than I remember in England. 

Oh yes! Driving is definitely interesting. There are two road signs I'm fond of. One is "traffic calming" which is essentially "we are making you go slower". I love the concept of calming traffic not that it appears to work really. Irish people drive kinda fast and rather crazy in their narrow roads but of course they are used to them. One does have to remember though that really 80 km/hr is about 35...so I guess it isn't that fast even if it feels like it when you are zooming around an unmarked curve! My complete favorite, found on a country lane this morning, was "no road markings." Again, a tiny and windy road on which I had observed no road markings for several kilos. That one I found hysterical as there are quite a lot of roads around without the benefit of any markings. 

Apparently music is something done late here--so far it starts at 10 everywhere and I was too tired last night...not sure I'll make it tonight either. 

Wednesday, March 09, 2016

Ireland day one

I landed at 445 am in Dublin. Didn't sleep much--not sure why. I guess it's not the first time I've been in Ireland as I flew through Shannon once but never got out of the airport. I still have a book I bought there though--Anam Cara. I love it. 

Everything is in Gaelic and English. Wonder if I can pick up a bit of Gaelic?

I picked up my car. Driving on the wrong side is an adventure but I am proud to say that I had only one lapse and since I was going slow and the other person was too there was no harm done. I got the heck out of Dublin so I could get a feel for it. The first thing I noticed was that signs are...well, they are difficult. They are sometimes right on top of the turn so you can't prepare. Or turned funny so they don't work or were never meant to work for the direction you are coming from. That said I somehow managed to get out of Dublin going the right way and then onto a smaller road and then still smaller roads. That weird sense of direction I've always had was very helpful this morning! I found Fourknocks, an old cairn site. Odd and interesting site. It's quite old, like Stone Age. There's a slightly wide spot in the road to park and then you take a lovely short path to the cairn. Apparently you can get a key to go in but at 630 in the morning I decided not to ask. 

The cairn from along the path. 



Steps leading to the top of the cairn and its entrance


View from top of cairn looking south 

After I left there I made my way to Slane (a town) which was basically still closed at a bit after 8. I also realized the room I thought I booked for the 9th was really for the 8th. So I decided to go on over and see if they would let me check in and stay another night. I was mad at myself for the silly mistake but in the end I think this is going to work out well--they let me check in and gave me a badly needed breakfast and some information, like where to get a SIM card for my phone. Athlumney Manor, in Navan, if you are interested. Very nice place, easy to find, kind owners. Now I am feeling better--fed, found, a place to lie down, a plan for the day and for tomorrow too I think. Also feeling more confident that I can manage the driving as long as I pay attention. Another good reason to have checked in early as I was getting very tired and so was hyper careful while driving which is in turn exhausting! Rumor has it the Hill of Tara, an old site high on my list is 10 minutes away and there is an Irish music session tonight at 10 pm at one of the pubs.