It started off very cloudy, foggy and rainy.
The first of these two sites was the Hill of Tara. The land was consider an entrance into the Otherworlds and therefore was very sacred land. As a result this was the seat of the kings during prehistoric and historic times.
The stone on the right is a phallic stone. In these times the king was not only married to his human wife but he was also married to the Earth Mother. The stone is symbol to represent that union.
Although the buildings themselves no longer remain you can see the indentations in the ground of where they once stood.
This was the one 'building' left at the site. It was where hostages were kept.
For lunch we found ourselves enjoying warm soup and hot tea on a farm near our next destination. I had a grand time going around and interacting with all the animals, most of them were very young.
Baby quail! Not like the ones we see in the western states, no adorable questions on the top of their heads but just as fluffy.
Two little puppies intent on chewing everything.
Lambs. Ireland is famous for their sheep and wool products as a result.
Some doves and bird humor.
Next stop New Grange in the Boyne Valley.
This is a tomb built by the Irish in Neolithic times (Stone Age). That was 5,000 years ago! This tomb is older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stone Henge. Amazing!
The engineering is so well thought out that the tomb is completely dry inside. No rain has touched the floor in 5,000years. Considering Ireland gets 3inches of rain a month that is truly mind blowing.
Imagine hauling those rocks when the wheel hadn't been invented yet. It is believed they brought them by river since they originate from the western coast of Ireland
That tri-spiral symbol is common in the art work on and within the tomb. No one knows exactly what it means.
Nearly all of the symbols that represent Ireland stem from the art found on/in this tomb.
No pictures were permitted inside the tomb sadly. It consisted of three small 'rooms' opening to the middle. Surprisingly a very small space inside.
The tomb never actually housed bodies. Left over ash, bines and teeth tell us that the bodies were cremated. We can only speculate what the tomb was truly used for.
The entrance of the tomb has boxed 'window' above it. As you make your way into the tomb you climb up a slight incline. Once you've reached the center that window is at foot level. On the day of the winter solstice the position of the sun lines up with this window and lights up the entire tomb. It's suppose to be a magical sight.
Imagine the time, engineer and physical labor that went into building this sight. It must have meant a great deal to those early Irish farmers.
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