Newgrange Passage Tomb, circa 3200 BC
In October 2004, we took a short trip to Ireland in conjunction with a scientific meeting for Art in Dublin. We spent three days in the countryside, and then three days in the city. Here are my notes from the trip.
Rossnaree
Day 1. We arrived in Dublin, picked up our rental car and drove north to our bed and breakfast, Rossnaree, a beautiful historic private house, chosen by us because it was near the World Heritage prehistoric sites of Newgrange and Knowth, which feature megalithic passage tombs dating to 3200 BC as well as standing stones (similar in concept to Stonehenge) and stones with elaborate concentric engraved designs. Both Newgrange and Knowth were visible on the other side of the Boyne River from our bedroom window. The sites can be seen only on tours, so we went to the visitor center, got our tickets for Newgrange, visited the museum, and took the tour. By afternoon, jet lag had caught up with us and we returned to Rosnaree for a nap.Day 2. The next morning we woke up to a light rain, which soon cleared to patchy sun. We booked a tour of Knowth for 11:45 and then picked up picnic food for lunch. After the tour, it began to rain again, so we ate our lunch in the car in the parking lot at remains of Mellifont Abbey, the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland, founded in 1142. When the rain let up and we walked around a bit before taking back roads to Monasterboice to see the high crosses and round tower.
Proleek Dolmen
We then drove north to Dundalk to see the Proleek Dolmen (circa 3000 B.C.), located on the grounds of the Ballymascanlon House Hotel golf course. Following signs along the cart path, we walked about a quarter mile to the fifth green, to see an immense stone balanced on top of two triangular stones. We tossed several pebbles onto the top for good luck. According to legend, a wish is granted if your pebble stays on top and doesn't roll down. For dinner that night we stopped at the Gallery Forge restaurant, where we ordered a brace of quail.
Celtic Cross, Monasterboic
Day 3. After breakfast we drove south through Dublin to Enniskerry in County Wicklow where we visited Powerscourt Estate and walked around the formal gardens. (It was reminiscent of visiting the Huntington gardens in Pasadena.) We looked briefly in the Avoca shop on the main floor of the house and bought an excellent scone. We then drove past the waterfall and along a back road to Glendalough where we took a tour through the abbey ruins. (It dates back to the 6th century!) We then walked around the upper lake. After tea in the hotel we drove back to Dublin via Sallygap, a narrow road across the high heath. We saw a few sheep, almost no cars, and evidence of peat cutting. All in all, it was a desolate place. We arrived in Dublin, checked into our hotel, and went to the local pub to watch the Ireland/France soccer match.Day 4. While Art was at his meetings I went to the National Museum to see the real finds from Newgrange and Knowth–the visitor center at the site only had reproductions–and a huge collection of Celtic gold jewelry. In the evening, we took a chartered bus to Dublin Castle for a reception.
Georgian House, facing St. Stephen's Green, Dublin
Day 5. After lunch we set out for a walking tour of Dublin. We went past St. Stephen’s Green to the Natural History Museum; Powerscourt Shopping Center (mostly eating places, antiques and clothes); to Avoca (bought two teapots and tea towels); through Temple Bar (cobblestone streets and pubs); to Liffey Bridge to Christ Church Cathedral (site of the first performance of Handel’s Messiah); to Dublinia Medieval Heritage Center; to Jurys Inn Hotel for coffee; to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Evensong service; and finally, to dinner at La Mere Zou on St. Stephen’s Green for mussels and cherry beer for Art and parsnip soup and lamb for me.
