Bru na Boinne. An Irish “Must See”

What is it about Bru na Boinne that makes it so special. So much so that it’s one of the “must sees” of Ireland?

The site contains passage graves, standing stones, henges and other features. It’s a World Heritage site, and literature says it contains some of the world’s most historically important Neoltic passage graves, most notably Newgrange, Dowth and Knowth.

What is it about the site that “takes your breath away”? I guess it’s because it’s origins are lost in Ireland’s misty ancient history. Newgrange is mentioned in several Celtic sagas.

A thousand years older than Stonehenge in England, it is a powerful and evocative testament to the mind-boggling achievements of prehistoric humans. There’s another reason it’s so special: because it shows us what we can achieve. I mean, if ancient peoples could do that, just think what we can do.

To a certain extent, you need to have a fascination with ancient monuments and standing stones. If you do, then certainly you will enjoy Bru na Boinne. The monuments at this site seem to have always been associated with “magic”. They seem tied to astromony, in this case mostly the Winter Solstice.

Through the centuries, they were woven into myths and legends and became regarded as the cemetary of the High-Kings of Tara and Ireland.

The main monuments here are Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth.

Newgrange is a passage tomb, but that sounds so ordinary. It is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. It consists of a mound which is 76 meters across and 12 meters high. What makes it visually so impressive is that the front is faced with a wall of sparkling white quartz stones. Close up it is the art on the stones that will impress. The burial chamber inside has remained intact for 5,000 years.

Knowth is the largest of the passage graves here. Its large mound is impressive, but it lacks the spectacular white front of New Grange. There is, however, an impressive amount of megalithic art in this tomb.

Dowth is the oldest of these three, but it is the least attractive to tourists because it is less excavated. Its decorations are not as complex, though it may once have been faced with quartz like Newgrange. Newgrange and Dowth have passages that allow light in during the Winter Solstice.

Block out all of your fellow tourists and try to imagine yourself transported 4000-5000 years back in time. You approach by boat on the River Boyne, through an ancient Irish landscape. There, high on a hill in the distance you see the sunlight dancing off the white quartz and granite facade of a monument. Something that is already ancient that you know very little about. Wouldn’t that seem magical?

Even now, approaching the monuments in Bru na Boinne, you can feel the sacredness of the site if you will just let yourself. That’s the magic of it. And that is why it’s so special.

Irish Pubs, A Friendly Place To Meet Locals

Irish Pubs are as much a part of the local scene as the iconic tiny green fields bordered by stone walls. Whether you’re a beer lover or not, you should visit at least a few Pubs during your visit.

When we traveled in Ireland with family, we stopped at a Pub for lunch. Our nieces were young at the time, and they wanted to know if it was OK for them to go into a bar. Don’t think of them as bars.

The term pub is short for “public house”. The locals go there to hang out and socialize. Children are served food and soft drinks. Sometimes there is a special section, and they may be asked to leave earlier at night than the other patrons. The legal drinking age is 19 in Ireland.

Irish Pubs are great places to get a decent inexpensive meal. “Pub Grub” earned a bad reputation years ago, but it’s not what it used to be. There are a few pubs that have microwaved meals and wilted salads, but most are really pretty good today. To find the best pub in the area where you’re staying, just ask the host at your B-and-B. You’ll probably get a great tip for a meal and a fun evening.

In most pubs, you order at the bar, both your drink and your food. Just ask if you’re unsure how to order beer. Most bartenders or publicans will take the time to educate you. If you just ask for a beer, you’re apt to get a pint of Guinness. If you want less, ask for a half-pint.

We don’t drink beer much at home, but we love to try local beers when we travel, so we suggest you try some of the local brews in Irish Pubs. There are long handles with plaques on them at the bar that let you know what is on tap. If you ask, they will probably let you have a small taste of one or two to see if you like them. Of course, you must order one in the end.

Besides Guinness Stout, there are other ales, bitters, and beers. If you like lighter beer ask for a lager, something like Harp.

Pubs are open for lunch and straight through to dinner and into the evening, usually from 11:00 AM to 11:30 PM.

If you’re staying in a town for a couple of nights and visit the same pub, you’ll probably be hailed as a friend by your second visit. You’ll only be a stranger in a pub if you want to be. If you try talking to the locals, you’ll soon be in a conversation.

If you’re really lucky, you’ll run into some traditional music. You may find music advertised or it might just happen spontaneously. Musical instrument can be fiddles, flutes, guitars or accordions, or all of the above. But if you’re really lucky you might hear the Irish version of bagpipes – the uilleann.

Whether you get music or great food or just a pint and a snack, you’ll find a friendly place to stop in an Irish Pub.

How To Survive Driving In Ireland

Driving in Ireland? We’ve done it, so we’re not saying it’s hard. We just want you to think about a few things before you get that rental car and jump in.

Let me tell you a story, we were traveling with my brother’s family in Ireland. At the Shannon airport, the fellows went to get the car we’d be sharing. It was a small van since there were six of us. Already a big car for Ireland.

Well, brother doesn’t travel much, but he had made the car reservation, and he said, “Don’t worry, I can drive it.” By the time they got from one side of the airport to the other to pick us up, he gave the keys to my hubby and said, “I’ll watch the first day or two.” Eventually he was driving in Ireland just fine, but the point is, it does take some getting used to.

Ireland is one European country that has a lot of traffic accidents. Because of that, you may find that Collision Damage Waiver insurance (CDW) is mandatory on your rental car. Maybe it’s those narrow roads with the hedgerows that make it difficult to see other traffic, and difficult to avoid the traffic even if you see it, unless you’re going very slowly. Don’t count on your credit card coverage here. Check with your credit card company before you rent. Ireland may be one of those countries they exclude from coverage.

You’ll sometimes be told that you need an international drivers license, but you can usually get by with just your regular driver’s license. Always check before you go.

When you’re making a rental car reservation, we suggest you reserve the smallest car your group will fit in. We keep repeating – remember those narrow roads. Smaller cars will be easier to park. You’ll also get better fusl consumption with a smaller car, and petrol is expensive.

Car travel isn’t necessarily fast. The speed limit through towns is less than 50 km/h and you mostly be on small roads that go through lots of towns. That’s why you’re driving in Ireland – to see all those little Irish towns and the great scenery!

If you get confused about where to park, ask a local. Do you need to pay at a central machine and get a ticket to park at a pay-and-display area? Locals will let you know what is legal and talking to locals is part of the fun. It’s the same thing if you get lost. Stop and ask someone. You can get directions and a dose of that Irish lilt at the same time and sometimes a story will come with it.

Anything more about driving in Ireland? Get a guidebook or map that translates Irish place names so you’ll know what you’re looking for. It may not be Greek, but Gaelic can be just as confusing. Wear your seat belts. Obey the speed limits; they are strictly enforced. And you shouldn’t be in a hurry anyway – you’re on holiday!

Slip Back In Time On The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

If you fly to Ireland and land in Shannon, put the Dingle Peninsula on your tourist road map. The Ring of Kerry is one of the best known scenic drives in Ireland, but if you want to avoid the crowds and tour buses, we think driving the Dingle Peninsula is a great alternative.

You can start in Killarney just as you would for the Ring of Kerry. Before you start your drive to Dingle, you can take in the Muckross House and the Ross Castle near Killarney.

Muckross House is about 6 km from Killarney town center. It is a lovely large old Victorian manor house furnished in period style of the 19th century. There are wonderful gardens, and the site is beautifully situated in the Killarney National Park overlooking the Lakes of Killarney.

Ross Castle is a typical example of the stronghold of an Irish Chieftain during the Middle Ages. It was probably built during the 1400s. It does contain some 16th and 17th century oak furniture. Because it is close to Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, it gets very busy in the high season.

You would visit those if you were driving the Ring of Kerry, but for the Irish “country road and great scenery” experience without the crowds, head now for the Dingle Peninsula. Start by driving through the city of Tralee. It’s a cute little city. You could stop here for the night or just head straight out to Dingle.

You don’t get much more Irish than in this area. You need to know the word “Gaeltachts”. These are national parks for traditional culture where the old Irish ways are protected, and where Irish or Gaelic is spoken. You’ll have to know what you’re looking for because most map names and signposts are in Gaelic. Some even have old style lettering, so you’ll have to be on your toes.

The only “big town” out here is Dingle with a population of about 2,000. There are only a few streets with houses, shops and pubs painted in happy, bright colors. It’s easy to find a B-and-B here, and meals are easy to come by in pubs as well as restaurants and cafes. At night you will probably have the opportunity to hear traditional Irish music.

Leave the little town behind for a circle drive around the end of the Dingle Peninsula. The whole area has the feel of an open air museum. There are the remains of Stone Age ring forts, and beehive huts that Monks lived in during the Dark Ages. There are rugged coastline views and tiny green pastures with sheep grazing. There is an ancient church called the Gallarus Oratory from about 800. You’ll get all the way out to Slea Head at the tip of the peninsula – the point in Europe closest to America before you head back to Dingle or Tralee.

You can explore the peninsula by car or bike. It is only 16 km wide and from Tralee to Slea Head it is 64 km long. The whole drive can be leisurely taken in just a few hours, but this is not an area for frenzied tourists. It’s quiet and peaceful.

Take your time. You will see the signs in Gaelic and hear the lilt of the words and feel like you’ve slipped back in “Irish Time”.

The Ring Of Kerry In Ireland

The Ring of Kerry is one of Ireland’s most popular and best known driving routes. It’s a driving loop, the fact that it’s called Ring of Kerry should give you a clue on that. It loops around the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland. It covers about 170 km with breathtaking scenery.

Driving yourself is the best way to see this, but we should tell you that driving in Ireland is not necessarily for the faint of heart or the timid. The roads tend to be narrow with hedgerows or stonewalls right up to the edge of them.

Driving yourself is not hard, we just wanted to be sure you know what you’re getting into. And on the Ring of Kerry, you will encounter some of those narrow roads, especially if you take a few diversions along even narrower roads to see some of the sights the guidebooks recommend.

This driving route tends to get crowded in high season. You might get stuck behind a caravan as European motor homes are called. You’re even apt to come across a tourist bus on these roads – that’s a thrill! If you start earlier in the day, you may be able to avoid these.

You can find driving guides telling you which roads to take and what to look. Do your research in guidebooks and on the internet. You’ll most likely want to start and end this loop in Killarney.

You can make the whole circuit of the Ring of Kerry in a day if you leave early in the morning, but we think you should allow two or three days so you can really enjoy it and avoid those buses. There really isn’t any problem finding small hotels, B-and-B’s or Pubs with rooms along the way.

If you drive in an anti-clockwise direction you’ll be heading in the same direction as the buses. You might be frustrated following them from time to time, but you’ll be less likely to meet them head on. With those narrow roads, following a slow bus might be preferable.

You’ll pass craggy coasts, brooding mountains and charming small towns and villages. You can find ancient stone forts along the way. The Leacanabuaile stone fort was inhabited during the bronze age and maybe much earlier. There are also remains of beehive huts there. If you cross a causeway to Laentia Island, you’ll find not only tiny patchwork fields that look oh-so-Irish, you’ll also find Glanleam subtropical gardens – that’s right subtropical gardens. Amazing what those ocean currents can do isn’t it?

Along the coast the towering rocks of Great Skellig and Little Skellig are seabird sanctuaries now, but in the 12th century, monks lived and worked here in more of those beehive huts. One of the most beautiful views in this circuit of natural beauty is the “Ladies View” of the Killarney Lakes and the National Park. Look for signs so you can take in this view that Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting loved.

In spite of the crowds and buses, the Ring of Kerry is pretty enough that it’s worth seeing. Everything there is just so Irish!

Recommended Sites In Ireland To Visit

What are the top sites in Ireland? We’ve talked about the variety of tourist options that make it fun to visit Ireland, but the first time you visit any country, there are just some sites you “must see”, and Ireland is no exception.

There are lots of “top ten lists” for almost any country. We do want to remind you that any list is always someone else’s idea of what is important – whether it’s top sites in Ireland or what you need to see before you die. Use these lists, but don’t define your trip by them.

Having said that, lists are useful for research. Let’s get to our top sites in Ireland:

The first site we’d recommend is the Bru na Boinne, that’s Celtic or Irish for “Palace of the Boyne”. Sometimes this area is called the “Bend in the Boyne.” That’s a looser translation, but these sites are on the banks of the Boyne River. It’s really a group of sites, which together make up an important ancient megalithic site.

You have to see Newgrange and Knowth. They are impressive prehistoric passage tombs. See the ancient stone carvings around the outside. You must take a tour; you can’t explore them on your own. You can choose to tour one or both. Plan to arrive early as tours fill up in the high season.

Most guidebooks will tell you that you should see the Ring of Kerry, a driving circuit that encompasses three peninsulas in southwestern Ireland. It’s a great drive with lots of castles and coastline and the lakes of Killarney. It’s a beautiful drive, but it tends to get crowded. If you plan your trip for Spring or Fall, you can see it with smaller crowds.

For a less congested alternative, consider driving the Dingle Peninsula instead. It’s got fewer crowds year round, but it’s got plenty of coastal scenery too. Drive out to the cute town of Dingle then take the Slea Head Drive, a circuit out along the Atlantic. There is an ancient church, the Gallarus Oratory, and some beehive huts (called “clochans”) lived in by Monks in the Dark Ages. You’ll also see a Stone Age ring fort on the drive. Here’s an interesting fact, Slea Head is the point in Europe closest to America.

You really should see the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. These natural wonders are an interesting counterpoint to each other. The Cliffs of Moher are topped with green and plunge hundreds of feet into the Atlantic. The Burren is a barren but mesmerizing moonscape of limestone karst littered with megalithic tombs and celtic crosses.

For pure scenic wonder and some great Irish stories, you need to see the Giant’s Causeway. It’s in Northern Ireland. It’s a natural wonder and a place full of legends. Thousands of polygonal columns appear to make up a giant stairway. It’s great fun to let the locals tell you the various stories about the giants that are supposed to have built this “causeway”.

Dublin is a city definitely worth seeing. We don’t stay long in cities, but you should see Trinity College to visit the Library and see the Book of Kells. It’s a copy of the four Gospels of the New Testament, but what makes it special is that it was transcribed by Celtic monks in the Dark Ages inabout 800 AD. These calfskin volumes are extravagantly illustrated. True works of art.

Whatever you choose, you’ll find your own top sites in Ireland. Save time for just rambling around. The whole country is beautiful, and the people are friendly. You can’t go wrong.

Where To Go And What To See In Ireland

How you plan your trip pretty much depends on where you’re going to land, how much time you have, and what your interests are. And do you want to see both parts of the country, or just the Republic, or just the North?

Are you interested in castles? There are plenty of them. Some are just ruins, some have been converted to luxury hotels like Dromoland Castle and Ashford Castle. You could devise a whole tour just based on visiting castles.

Are you interested in golf? Ireland is almost as famous for its golf courses as Scotland is. If you’re a golfer, you’ve probably heard of the Ballybunion Old Course. You could combine golf and a castle stay at Dromoland Castle or Ashford Castle or others if you want to splurge.

Interested in ancient sites? You’ll have to go to Bru na Boinne and see the Passage Tombs of Newgrange and Knowth. If you go to Trinity College in Dublin, you can see the Book of Kells. The Hill of Tara in the County Meath is the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland. While there really isn’t much there in the way of structures or ancient monuments at the Hill of Tara, it’s worth visiting just for the sweeping views. There are passage tombs and standing stones, but mostly you should go to “feel” the history here.

You can follow a trail of sites associated with Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland. From the Rock of Cashel where he was supposed to have converted the King of Munster to Christianity to Downpatrick where he is supposed to be buried in the Down Cathedral.

Are you just interested in seeing the green and the scenery? Well, you can see that almost everywhere, but you’ll want to get to the Cliffs of Moher – 198 metres drop straight in to the Atlantic. For stark barren beauty see the Burren near Galway. This limestone plateau has ancient dolmens and bizarre rock formations. And if you can get all the way to the northern tip of the country you can visit the Giants Causeway. Basalt columns that seem to form a giant pathway to Scotland.

You’ll probably want to get to Blarney Castle and the kiss the Blarney Stone. Some guidebooks will tell you that this is a little too touristy. Well maybe, but we went the first time we visited the country, and we thought it was fun to see Blarney Castle.

As for beer, you can tour the Guiness Storehouse in Dublin. It’s a modern museum inside an old brewery. If you just want a Guiness, you can get one in any pub.

You can taste Irish Whiskey almost anywhere in the country, but just know that most of the places you find for tours are not working distilleries. It’s still fun.

There are several ways to get around on your visit. You can choose to take a tour of the country which focuses on your interests. Another choice is to visit on your own and use public transportation, but it may be hard to get to some of the more out of the way sights.

Driving yourself around Ireland is fun and a great way to see it. You need steady nerves on some of those narrow roads, but they will lead you to all the great sights. However you choose to visit, Ireland is well worth a visit.