Dublin – Day 4

Well the great weather streak continued. Partly sunny with a high of 71 and no rain. Even the Irish were wondering what that yellow orb in the sky was! Lol

So I took an all day group tour to two sites north of Dublin that are both fascinating places where archaeologists debate their true meaning. They are massive grass-covered burial mounds built atop separate hills. One had a chamber inside reached by a narrow stone passage. The other you could see slightly inside but couldn’t go in. Mysterious, thought-provoking, and mind-bogglingly old, these tombs gave me the chills!

First was Newgrange. It is 250 feet across and 40 feet high. Dating from 3,200 BC, it’s 500 years older than Stonehenge and the pyramids in Giza! The base of the mound is ringed by dozens of curbstones, each about nine feet long and weighing five tons. Above the doorway is a square window called the roof box, which played a key role I’ll describe in a bit. In front of the doorway lies the most famous of the curbstones, the 10 by 4 foot entrance stone. It’s left half is carved with three mysterious spirals, which have become a kind of poster child for prehistoric art. Some archaeologists think it was actually a map of the grounds.

I got to go inside (no pics allowed though) by walking down a very narrow 60-foot passage way. Occasionally I had to duck or turn sideways to sneak through. The passage opens up into a cross shaped central chamber (interesting since this was way before Christ’s time) with three alcoves, topped by a 20 foot high igloo type stone dome. Bones and ashes were placed here in a ceremonial stone basin, under 200,000 tons of stone and dirt.

While we know nothing of Newgrange’s builders, it most certainly was a sacred spot for a cult of the dead, a cult of the sun, or both. The tomb is aligned precisely east-west. As the sun rises on Dec 21 (the winter solstice) and the two days before and after, a ray of light enters thru the roofbox above the door and creeps slowly down the passage. The guide turned the lights off inside and simulated it and it was really CREEPY! Perhaps this was the moment when the souls of the dead were transported to the afterlife, via that ray of light. Then the light passes on and for the next 361 days, the tomb sits again in total darkness. Weird, wild stuff! I’ve been to Stonehenge but this was even creepier!

The bus then drove past the little town of Slane. There’s a castle there (I included a pic) and for some reason the grounds of the castle hosts these massive concerts (think Woodstock). U2, The Rolling Stones, etc. Crazy!

We then drove to the Hill of Tara. While just as mysterious as Newgrange, you had to use your imagination a lot more since it was mostly just mounds of grass. According to mythology, the kingship of Tara was based on the concept that the King and the land were connected. The title “King of Tara” always implied a special power but eventually it suggested dominance over all other Kings. In essence, he was “King of the Hill”!

The monuments on Tara include burial places as well as stone pillars and earthwork enclosures. Most had a ritual purpose and it is likely that at least some of the sites were intended for sacred ceremonies and gatherings.

As you’ll see in the one picture, there is a standing stone that looks like a (OK, phallic symbol) that is said to be the Lia Fail or Stone of Destiny. This is where they say all the Kings were inaugurated. I guess since they were all men size really does matter! Lol

It was also at this location where St Patrick directly challenged the king’s authority. When confronted by the high King, St Patrick convincingly explained the Holy Trinity using a shamrock (three petals and one stem as Father, Son and Holy Spirit). He won the right to preach Christianity throughout Ireland, and the country had a new national symbol. There’s a statue of him there and the church on the site, built in 1822 was dedicated to him. I included pics of both.

The pics are as follows: 1 – 5 are at Newgrange, 6 is the Slane Castle, and 7 – 12 are at the Hill of Tara (including the last one with some cows just idling by).

I learned a lot today and was fascinated by all the history. Hope everyone is having a great Thursday!