Failte Ireland - Ireland Buyers Guide 2018

DAY 5 The bones of Christian saints and ancient kings rest side by side at Clonmacnoise , founded in 544 by St Ciarán. This site by the River Shannon has withstood raids by unruly Gaels and plundering Norsemen during the centuries, but also managed to produce some impressive sacred texts along the way. Allow 45 minutes for this experience If you have more time: Try your hand at the art of bogwood sculpture and feel 5,000 years of history in your hands at the Ballinahown Craft Village . Allow 1 ½ hours for this experience Move from round towers to regal battlements at Athlone Castle next. The fortress was built in the 13th century in honour of a visit by King John of England, who never arrived! Don’t emulate the monarch, though: the keep and walls of this historic site now house a lively museum and are not to be missed. Allow 1 ½ hours for this experience Lunch in Athlone Let the past light your way at the Hill of Uisneach , Ireland’s mythological centre, where even today the pagan fire festival is celebrated to herald in the summer; and these mythic knolls are said to have supplied the towering rocks used in the construction of Stonehenge. Allow 1 ½ hours for this experience Dinner & Overnight Meath DAY 6 Start your day at Loughcrew Cairns the unsung stars of Ireland’s Neolithic era, and explore the Cairns’ ancient artwork, the Hag’s Chair and even a witch. Allow 1 ½ hours for this experience. Next, and in the middle of a swathe of pristine green fields lies a site that touches at the very heart of Irish history, the Hill of Tara – a place with a 5,000-year history, seat of Ireland’s High Kings and capital of the mythical god-like race of Tuatha de Danann. Allow 45 minutes for this experience If you have more time: Equally haunting are the passage tombs and sweeping vistas of the UNESCO. world heritage sites around Brú na Bóinne . Once you’ve come to terms with the archeological feat that is Newgrange, discover the artistry and secrets of the nearby Great Mound of Knowth , which also dates to 3,000BC. Allow minimum 2 hours for this experience Keep the monastic theme going at Monasterboice , founded in the late 5th century by Saint Buithe. The big draw here is the magnificent Muirdeach’s High Cross: divided into panels decorated with vivid and lively scenes. There are 124 figures on the cross, but only one appears in headgear – see if you can find Goliath in his conical hat, as well as the few other bearded characters, Adam, Cain, Moses and Saul? Allow 45 minutes for this experience Lunch in Carlingford 85 Hill of Tara, Co. Meath Round Tower, Ardmore, Co.Waterford