July 22 - Hill of Tara and Newgrange

This day was the absolute best!  I finally got to see some of the beautiful Irish coutryside.  Hill of Tara had some amazing views.  I even got close to some grazing sheep.  This is one of those posts where I have to let the pics speak for themselves.

The same for Newgrange.  This tomb pre-dates Stonehenge and the Pyramids.  There are 3 main tombs, Knowth, Douth, and Newgrange.  Newgrange is fully excavated, Knowth is partially excavated, and no one is allowed into Douth.  There are even some smaller tomb mounds that have been discovered nearby.  There are many speculations and theories as to what the swirls and engravings on the entrance stone mean.  Some believe it could be a map of the area, others believe something different.  Whatever the beliefs, there is no way to prove one over the other.  When you enter, you walk through this very narrow path that is about 19 meters long.  It opens up into the main chamber.  There are three recesses off the main chamber where it is believed various rituals were done.  The ceiling has a very carefully laid out stones that create the dome effect and then the capstone keeps it very dry.  No moisture has been in that chamber for thousands of years.  We got to also see a recreation of what it would be like in the chamber on the winter solstice when the sun shines through the entrance and lights up the chamber.  It only happens from 8:58 - 9:17 am.  It is very brief but truly quite amazing.