oct 1st

On our final day we leave Galway and head east to New Grange. It did take a while due to a long detour around the annual horse fair in Ballinasloe. But we arrived in time for a tour and Karen, Bill and Stephen all agreed afterwards that it was well worth the 5 hours in the car.
The Megalithic Passage Tomb at Newgrange was built about 3200 BC. The kidney shaped mound covers an area of over one acre and is surrounded by 97 kerb stones, some of which are richly decorated with megalithic art. The 19 metre long inner passage leads to a cruciform chamber with a corbelled roof. The tour guide reckons that it would have taken about 3 generation to complete and that it predated the Egyptian pyramids by about 600 years. The passage and chamber of Newgrange are illuminated by the winter solstice sunrise. A shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. The dramatic event lasts for 17 minutes at dawn from the 19th to the 23rd of December.

Most scholars believe the spiral of life on the entrance stone represents the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Others say this deeply mystical symbol represents the male, female, and child on the path of life. This is the symbol that was in our wedding - it was lovely to be able to show Karen and Bill where it came from.

Finally back to Dublin and time to take some family pictures.