Back On The Road After Far Too Long

Thursday, 9th May 2013

There's a wonderful feeling I used to experience and for far too long took or granted. That feeling is the one of parking the car, walking to the back, putting on a pair of walking boots and getting excited about seeing something new! It's such a simple thing, but it's wonderful.

I had the chance to spend a few wet days in Armagh and decided I would try to take it easy, but visit some places again, and see some new monuments. When staying in Armagh you can't avoid going to Navan Fort and the King's Stables, even if you've been there before, so these were the main targets of the first day. The weather meant I had to do them in a weird order, starting at the King's Stables, visiting a couple of other sites and then coming back to Navan Fort.

I also had a look round Armagh Museum, too. It's small, but does have some nice items on show. Apart from the Mesolithic and Neolithic artefacts, there is one of the skulls found in the King's Stables. The a lot of the displays are natural history and some very fine costumes. It's worth a visit if you have an hour or so.

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A Loop Of The Blackstairs To See Some Rock-Art

Sunday, 17th June 2012

What's this? Out to see sites two weeks in a row after such a long absence? Yes! A while ago I asked for ideas and my good friend Ken Williams suggested two of these places and told me how to find the third.

All three of the rock-art panels I visited today have been moved from their original location. Two if them were found built into field walls, while no-one is really sure where the third came from exactly. They are all fairly accessible - one is even signposted (well, sort of), although two are quite remote. One is right beside a busy road!

At the first site I got very lucky and arrived at the perfect time of day for the light to be striking the panel from the side. I wasn't so lucky at the other two as the weather started deteriorating. At least the rain held off until I was on my way home.

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A Loop Of The Blackstairs To See Some Rock-Art

Sunday, 17th June 2012

What's this? Out to see sites two weeks in a row after such a long absence? Yes! A while ago I asked for ideas and my good friend Ken Williams suggested two of these places and told me how to find the third.

All three of the rock-art panels I visited today have been moved from their original location. Two if them were found built into field walls, while no-one is really sure where the third came from exactly. They are all fairly accessible - one is even signposted (well, sort of), although two are quite remote. One is right beside a busy road!

At the first site I got very lucky and arrived at the perfect time of day for the light to be striking the panel from the side. I wasn't so lucky at the other two as the weather started deteriorating. At least the rain held off until I was on my way home.

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Going Local Down in Kilmashogue

Sunday, 10th June 2012

Last week I asked for suggestions of local places that I could visit that I'd never visited. As one person commented, this is a tough challenge. However, one of the suggestions was a stone I'd looked for many years ago, but had never found. When I found it today I found out why. I was told it was much further down the road it is on and opposite the old church, not the new one!

This piece of earth-fast rock has a rectangular hole in it, presumably it was a cross base. While I was in the area I simply had to go back to Kilmashogue (County Dublin). It's been over 10 years since I was last there and it's only just up the road.

It's good to have been out again. Hopefully, I will be able to gather some momentum and keep visiting a few sites a month over the summer.

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A Quick Stop At The Druids' Judgement Seat

Saturday, 30th April 2011

I was in the area so I decided to pop in to the Druids' Judgement Seat to see how it was being kept up. The area is still well-maintained, which is great to see. I took a little video, too, while I was here.

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A Quick Stop At The Druids' Judgement Seat

Saturday, 30th April 2011

I was in the area so I decided to pop in to the Druids' Judgement Seat to see how it was being kept up. The area is still well-maintained, which is great to see. I took a little video, too, while I was here.

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A Quick Tour of Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth and Monasterboice

Thursday, 24th May 2012

I had some friends over to stay with me for a few days and after a trip into Dublin to see the Book of Kells and to the National Museum we went to Knowth, Newgrange, Dowth and Monasterboice.

I wasn't feeling too well after walking around Knowth, so I went back and waited at the vistor centre while they went to Newgrange. We then went to Dowth and had a thistle-encroached picnic and then on to Monasterboice.

Today was special for me, because it was the first time I'd taken my grandson to an Irish monument! Imagine that! I had always thought he'd be at his first stone circle before he could crawl.

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A Promontory Fort, A Long Cist, Some Sand Martins And An Otter Skull

Monday, 25th April 2011

To see how well I'd recovered from my recent illness I decided to drive to the other side of the country and visit Tatjana in Sligo. I'm not sure how wise that was, but it turned out to be a great day.

We went to visit a promontory fort and its associated monuments. Id' seen this site from the sea as we sailed to Inishmore last June.

The monument itself is very well preserved and very easy to access. However, for me the highlight of the day was sitting and eating lunch with a swarm of sand martins flying around us! How awesome is that!?

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St. Doolagh's Church & wells - Balgriffin

Sunday, 2nd January 2011

This is one of the trips I lost when I had to swap to a new server after the hacking incident, so I am reentering them.

Over the last two years my wife has mentioned open days at a church in North Dublin and suggested we go. For various reasons we haven't, but recently several posts on the megalithomania forum have mentioned the church and, in particular its unusual holy wells. This seemed like a good enough trigger for me to finally go and see the church, although without the benefit of an open day. The service was on while I was wandering around, so I could have stayed and spoken to someone, but I didn't have much time.

The church - St. Doulagh's in Balgriffin - is a really interesting site. It is one of the only stone-roofed churches in Ireland still standing and it has the only freestanding baptistry left in the whole of Ireland. Much more should be made of this church and its features (including a lepers' window where sick people could receive communion) from a tourist point of view.

So, that's it: the first visit of 2011 done, and quite rightly inspired by my wife and the people who contribute to the forums here. Happy New Year to you all and may your visits be informative and enlightening!

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Tom The Guide Goes To Newgrange

Wednesday, 17th November 2010

After a fine week in Portugal I didn't feel too great, but I was very happy that I'd already arranged to take a friend over from Wales to Newgrange and surrounding sites. We couldn't see Knowth due to it being closed for the winter, but we did see Dowth, Fourknocks and Monasterboice.

At this time of year you obviously don't get much daylight, so we couldn't see much else. I know Simon enjoyed finally getting to Newgrange - who doesn't enjoy this magnificent monument when they go there for the first time!?

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