A Trip to Bru Na Boinne to see Neolithic Art!

Yesterday was our prep day and since it was the first Monday of the Month we met the McDowells for a fun day in the Republic of Ireland! This is the Boyne River. Pretty famous here in Ireland. Big Battles were fought along the banks.

We headed to Knowth. We boarded a tour bus and went out to the site of a burial mound that was built around 3,000 B.C. It was pretty fascinating. There is evidence that there were cremations done there.

There were several different mounds.

Underground tunnel. The tour guide said you could crawl through it....but she wouldn't advise it!

The carvings on the stones were amazing. Some were preserved better than others. No one knows what they mean. She said it was up to us to interpret it. And our guess was as good as any!

These quartz (white rocks) and granite (grey) were used in building the mound. The quartz glitters in the sun and sparkles at night.

Not sure what this was for but probably had something to do with the sun.

We were able to go down into one mound.

It was pretty dark and we could only see the passage way and how the walls, etc. were built.

We were lucky to have a beautiful day. Here are the McDowells.

We hiked up the largest mound and the view was spectacular! We could even see a castle in the distance.

This was one of the openings in the mound. The large stone boulders surrounded were around each mound.



We then got on the bus again and headed for Newgrange. This is the site of another large burial mound. These sites are older than the pyramids and stone henge. In fact, they told us this is the oldest man made building in the world! I was so impressed with the workmanship. 5,ooo-year-old passage and chamber.

Again, large stones all around the mound. The small stones are placed just right to hold everything in place. It is all original. The only thing they have done to help restore it was place some cement between the stones down low so that people won't take them!

Elder Holt

This is the entrance. We were able to go in, down a small passage way into a larger room. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside. There were three small rooms with cremation bowls. The amazing thing was that one day a year the sun enters, shines down the passage way into the large room. That is if the sun is shinning that day and there are no clouds! They turned off the lights and showed us a simulation of that day.

There was quite abit of security there. I'm not sure if it was because it's such a historical place or because this is election week and there is more security everywhere, especially in public places. It was a bank holiday. There was also someone important there, but we don't know who he was.....who knows, but I was keeping a watchful eye out for anything suspicious!

One of the security men.....




We then headed back to the visitor center. Had fun in the gift shop.....Sister McDowell and I purchased matching Celtic knot jewelry....Then we had a picnic lunch before heading to the next site. Slane Abbey.

I don't know too much about Slane Abbey, but it was fun to see.

Then we went over to Slane Castle. It was closed to the public, but Elder Holt climbed up the wall and took a picture!

We hear they have a big concert here every year.

It's always fun when we are in the Republic of Ireland to try and read the Gaelic signs. I'm sure glad I don't have to learn that language!

We then headed for Monasterboice. This is a very old graveyard that is kept by the monks. Some of the headstones are so old there is nothing on them. The cemetery is still used today and there were a few new graves with flowers on them.

It was fun to try and figure out the meaning of the carvings. Many biblical stories.
The stone work is amazing.

Elder and Sister Holt......

This was the oldest.

Sun dial.....

It was a beautiful day. Good times with good friends in a beautiful country. We appreciate the history here and the people who made it. We are also thankful for the wonderful people here now, people from all over the world. We talked to people from Italy, Australia, England, Scotland, America and a few from Ireland! (some of our friends in the ward said it's a good thing we came so we can find these places and tell them about it!) We made it home just in time for Family Home Evening! Today, it was back to missionary work!