Megalithic to Monastic

Started our day by climbing up a hill to cairn T at loughcrew, a well laid out trail to a 5000 year old passage tomb. An archaeologist guide gave us an excellent, short explanatory tour. Myth tells us the 3 hills containing numerous tombs were Witches jump steps, but we know better!! Fascinating insight into the lives of people 5000 years ago who probably came from Turkey. The largest tombs are aligned with the sun on the spring and autumn solstice, similar to the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge, although they are older.

Went to the monastic site in the town of Kells, the book was probably completed there. On the way we saw Ireland’s only inland lighthouse, the tower of Lloyd, a folly, but we could not climb to the to as it was shut. This was also the site of the famine paupers mass grave. The highest concentration of high monastic crosses in Ireland is in kells, also a round tower and st Colmcille (Columbus) stone house which was similar to the one we saw in the Wicklow national park.

Finished off the day in killykeen forest park surrounded by dozens of lakes.