paths
The tombs and castles of the Boyne Valley reveal an often-overlooked side of Irish history, writes Nicola Brady
DESTINATIONS BOYNE VALLEY | UK & IRELAND
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Newgrange ancient burial mound
PICTURE: Tourism Ireland/ Brian Morrison
travelweekly.co.uk
t’s pitch black inside the ancient burial chamber. I can’t see a thing – not the 5,000-year-old carvings
on the stone walls, not the 10 other people huddled under the domed ceiling, not even my own feet. But then, a solitary stream of light slowly creeps in through the tunnelled entrance, growing longer with each second. This amber beam only enters the Stone Age monument of Newgrange around the winter solstice, when the sun aligns with its entrance, filling this Neolithic chamber with a warm glow. But you don’t need to visit at solstice to see the spectacle. Each day, guides flick a switch to mimic the illumination on every tour of this mysterious site, which dates from 3,200BC – making it older than the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge. “In the darkest of places, there is light,” my guide says, as the beam of light reaches our feet.
IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST While Newgrange is a popular attraction, it’s not often seen by first-time visitors. I’ve lived in
Ireland for 18 years and this was my first visit. The Boyne Valley, the area in which Newgrange sits, is even less explored. When most people come to Ireland, they tend to hop between Dublin, Kerry and Galway, perhaps with a visit to Northern Ireland. But that’s what makes the Boyne Valley, in County Meath and County Louth, ideal for clients who think they’ve seen all that Ireland has to offer. Conveniently, Newgrange is only a 30-minute drive from Dublin airport, though tickets must be booked in advance (from €10). While the huge, hobbit- esque grassy dome gets most of the attention, tickets also include a visit to the Knowth Passage Tomb.
CASTLE ON THE HILL For a slice of more recent history, the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, set in a Palladian mansion, is a 15-minute drive away. You wouldn’t guess that the elegant 18th-century house and grounds stand on the site of one of Ireland’s bloodiest clashes. On July 11, 1690, an enormous battle saw some 60,000 men – divided between the sides of ²
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