Private Tour of Ireland

 Introduction

This post records a one day section of an extended small group Ireland tour.

 

Prehistoric ‘Rock Art’ at Knowth, Ireland

Information on the Tour Itinerary. 

This morning, we left our lodgings in Sligo, West of Ireland and drove S.E. to the small town of Carrick-on-Shannon (pop  4000 ) where we stopped for about 45 minutes to explore.

St Mary’s Church, Carrick on Shannon, Ireland

Farmers Market at Carrick on Shannon, Ireland

Carrick on Shannon Marina.

Next, we continued S.E. for about two hours to our principal destination of the prehistoric passage tomb complex  at Bru na Boinne which is situated near the River Boyne, north of Dublin.here there are three great tombs known as Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth. Newgrange is the best known and most popular. Due to pressure of visitor numbers at Newgrange we elected to visit Knowth and joined a guided tour the leader of which explained:

  • The sites many phases from first farming around 4000 BC to construction of the three great tombs c 3300-2900 BC to the Iron Age ( 500 BC to 700 AD), Early Christian era and Norman period.
  • The Neolithic art.
  • The great mound which is outlined by 127 massive kerbstones.
  • Eighteen smaller or satellite tombs at least two of which pre-date the great mound.
  • A reconstructed timber circle.( Originally constructed 2500 BC).
  • Souterrains.

Prehistoric ‘Rock Art’ at Knowth, Ireland

Passage inside Great Mound at Knowth

Great Mound and satellite tombs at Knowth, Ireland.


Great Mound at Knowth, Ireland

Valley of the River Boyne, Ireland

We spent over two hours at Knowth and the associated Visitor Centre before moving on to Dublin where guests checked into their lodgings for the night at conclusion of the seven-day, escorted tour of Ireland

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