Description - What to expect

Newgrange Tour Itinerary
◾ Start your Newgrange tour from the center of Dublin and travel to the Brú na Bóinne center, which sits on the River Boyne in county Meath, about 40 minutes drive north of Dublin. The place is famous for the ancient passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth.

Join a Newgrange tour and experience these incredible monuments. The Megalithic sites of the Boyne Valley were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. There is a visitor center where you can enjoy a snack of coffee as well as an interpretive tour of the whole world heritage site.

Newgrange is the best-known Irish passage tomb and dates to c.3, 200BC. You will be able to enter this tomb and see some of the best Megalithic art in Europe. The most impressive of these stones is the highly decorated Entrance Stone. The Newgrange monument is astrologically aligned to the Winter solstice. Knowth is also part of the Bru Na Boinne tour at Newgrange. The Great Mound at Knowth is similar in size to Newgrange and is surrounded by 18 smaller satellite mounds.

◾After our Newgrange tour and visit, travel toward the Battle of the Boyne visitor center. The Battle of the Boyne in 1690 was the deciding battle, not just for the ruling class in Ireland, but also in Britain and Europe. It explains the recent Troubles in Northern Ireland and why it is celebrated on July 12th each year by the Loyalist community in Northern Ireland.

It was a battle that would, eventually, lead to the displacement of the Irish Gaelic Lords and the end of that culture throughout the Island of Ireland. It was also a battle for the Throne of England between the Catholic King James II and the Protestant King of Holland (William of Orange) – Father-in-law V son-in-law.

We have scheduled your lunch stop at the Battle of the Boyne visitor center with some time to explore their wonderful, centuries-old walled gardens and local museum. They have a great café in a wonderful location with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the Walled Garden.

◾ The Newgrange tour continues on through the countryside in county Meath towards Monasterboice. Mainistir Bhuithe – “monastery of Buithe” is the 5th century monastic site founded by St Buithe. The site includes the remains of two churches built in the 14th century and a Round Tower from the 10th century, but it is most famous for its Celtic High Crosses. The round tower is about 28 metres tall, and is in very good condition. It was likely built shortly after 968 and damaged in a fire in 1098.

The three high crosses date from the 10th century and form part of the scriptural group (showing biblical scenes).
The 5.5-metre Muiredach’s High Cross is regarded as the finest high cross in the whole of Ireland. It features Biblical Carvings from the Old and New Testaments. It is named after an Abbot, Muiredach mac Domhnaill, who died in 923. We will then return to Dublin for approx. 17:00