This trip has been graced with most weather except snow, so far. Today we had torrential rain interspersed with biblical showers driven by Agnes’s gale force winds. Ideal I hear you say for visiting a neolithic site in the Boyne valley. I was not sure I would be able to visit as I would have needed to book my visit a couple of weeks ago, based on the reservation calendar. Being a solo visitor I went to the visitor centre at opening time and was pleased to find they could squeeze me on the 09:45 guided tour. With orange wrist band on it was off on the site bus to Knowth. This is the largest of the main sites here at Newgrange and the longest linear tomb in Europe, dating back about 5000 years. It is an exterior only visit here so 50 minutes later we were all soaked to the skin and past caring. It was very interesting and there was an excellent audiovisual presentation which brought us ready for the jewel in the crown a visit into the Newgrange burial chamber. Naturally I and the others followed the guidance not to take photographs in the burial chamber but I grabbed a few pictures outside at the two sites while struggling to keep rain off the lens of the Canon G5X. I then aquaplaned across to the coast near Drogheda for the run down to the Skerries, a must stop, with friendly connections. Finally I carried on here to Howth in the Dublin area for my stay at the Marine Hotel. What seemed like a lovely touch, having a room with a sea view, may not be quite what it seems as the wind and rain is hammering into the window which could make sleep tricky if it is still as wild at bed time. The headline picture shows the entry into Newgrange and also shows the ‘window’ through which the winter solstice sun shines in and illuminates the burial chamber.

 Across the Boyne to catch the bus

Knowth

The west entrance to Knowth

Our patient and excellent guide at Knowth

Newgrange

Newgrange from the visitor centre

Oh I do like ot be beside the seaside…. at Bettystown

Skerries

A room with a view