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Megalithic Travels in Ireland - Part 2
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Daredevil
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Megalithic Travels in Ireland - Part 2
Aug 28, 2002, 11:13
continued from Part 1 - not surprisingly

This is more like it. It's a drive up vertical roads then a 1 km (more like 3km) hike up a dirt track followed by a scramble up a mountainside to the most impressive three of about 10 sites scattered over the surrounding hillsides. These 3 are truely amazing. Now I am not a small chap - some might even say somewhat portly - so I had no hope of experiencing entering through the (it is fair to say) very small enterances of the portal tombs. The ever svelt Mrs Daredevil, however, managed to scramble through 2 of the three entrances into their main chambers (in which - I should point out, you can actually stand fully erect - and probably would if you catch my drift). The description provided by Mrs Daredevil were amazing. Basically, they were like mini-Newgranges with a cruciform three chamber set up and some 'basic' artwork. See said she felt safe and warm and calm in there whilst I fed off her description and fought back the jealousy. She managed to take some photos inside and luckily they have come out despite being practically pitch black.

The final stop on our whitlestop tour was Loughcrew which is, again spread over several hillsides and has a mixture of tombs and circles. We went up to Carin T - another vertical walk of course - and boy was this baby worth it. The main Cairn has a larger entrance than the earlier site but is (unfortunately or fortunaltely - I can never make up my mind) blocked and locked by a gate. Just inside said obstruction the are some larger stones with some great art work which you can just about capture on film by reaching through the bars and getting your head stuck in there (must get a digital camera). Around this hill top there are further circles and court tombs - one of which has slightly more random than the standard cruiciform shape with an addition 'passage' jutting from the head of the tomb (must have been rite pished when they made that one). Again, a wonderful site and one worth seeing.

Just to wind up (if you're not already) I couldn't help but notice how animals seem to gravitate to the sights. OK, I know they're in fields where animals live but when animals were in the same area and had the choice at these sites, they invariably sought respite within the structures themselves. Maybe the still connect more than we do???

So there we go.

All love to yew.

Daredevil

PS We went to North Wales a couple of weeks ago but I will write about that another time.
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