Ireland Day 6

Trim Castle

This is the largest Norman castle in Ireland and was used during the filming of Braveheart.  We thought about going inside the castle, but it was too late by the time we made the decision to go in.  However the grounds were still pretty, and I got a fancy ice cream cone!

This guy was pretty funny.  He is retired and got bored sitting around all day, so he decided to volunteer his time and goes to the castle 3 days a week dressed like this to take pictures with the tourists!

Look at all the different door colors! So fun!

I love how flowers can and do grow any where they are planted.  It rains enough that the maintenance is super easy and people can enjoy them without much effort, so jealous!

My yummy ice cream made from 100% Irish milk.  All the menus and signs that advertised food always claimed 100% Irish beef or lamb or cream, etc.  They were very proud of their local products!

Newgrange 

Newgrange is a Stone Age monument constructed about 5,200 years ago (3,200 B.C.) which makes it older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza. Newgrange is a large circular mound with a stone passageway and chambers inside. The mound is ringed by 97 large kerbstones, some of which are engraved with symbols called megalithic art.

Archaeologists classified Newgrange as a passage tomb, however Newgrange is now recognised to be much more than a passage tomb. Ancient Temple is a more fitting classification, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance, much as present day cathedrals are places of prestige and worship where dignitaries may be laid to rest.

Unfortunately we didn't realize this was such a popular tourist destination when we arrived.  You are only allowed to go see the monument with a guided tour and still are not able to walk through to see the stones inside.  We didn't get a tour, but saw it from afar. 

This is what it looks like inside the mound.  The entrance is aligned with the rising sun on the winter solstice, when sunlight shines through a 'roofbox' and floods the inner chamber.

Hill of Tara 

The Hill of Tara contains a number of ancient monuments, and, according to tradition, was the seat of Árd Rí na hÉireann, or the High King of Ireland. Recent scholarship claims that despite the rich narratives derived from mythologies, Tara was not so much a true seat of kingship, but a sacrad site associated with kingship rituals.

It seemed like just a bunch of rolling hills and a field that people used as a park, even though it contains some historical significance.  It had some great views.

I didn't take this picture, obviously, but it gave a good view of what the ground we were walking on looks like. 

A ruin seen in the distance from the top of a hill.

Kenney on top of one mound.

People were walking all over, having picnics and playing soccer.

The bright colored countryside.

A statue for St. Patrick.

Cabra Castle

The last night we were in Ireland we stayed in Cabra Castle.  It was a more traditional looking castle with rooms staged to look like it once did.  There was also a wedding going on when we arrived at this castle.  Apparently castles are popular wedding locations!  We didn't have a fancy dinner at this castle, but this room had THE best shower head I've ever used!!
  

Our biggest and pretty much only complaint about Ireland was the music on the radio. Every station we turned to was a mix of talk radio and music.  There were some Irish bands that they played, but also popular music from home.  However, there were a lot of weird renditions of cover songs that were horrible.  Here is one example of Call Me Maybe that is just awful!!  One thing that made the trip so much more manageable was the portable WiFi we got with our rental car.  We were able to use it to get directions on our phone to anywhere we needed to go.  It was perfect.  We thought we would be able to use Pandora in the car, but apparently Pandora is not available to use in that country!  Who knew?