Older than the Pyramids

This weekend I had the opportunity to visit, not just Ireland’s oldest man made structure but quite possibly the worlds oldest man made ‘Large Scale’ structure. Predating the pyramids by about 500 years this is one place that should have been on the list of 50 places to see before you die.

The Boyne Valley Mounds at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were built around 3200BC making them older than Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Only an hour outside Dublin they are easy to get to and should be on the list of places to visit for any visitor to out fair country.

Newgrange is the more famous of the three passage tombs because every year at the time of the Winter Solstice the sun is aligned perfectly with the entrance to the tomb and the sunlight shines all the way to the very end of the passage to illuminates the entire inside of the tomb. Just don’t come over for this event as because it only happens once a year the Irish heritage sector hold a lottery to allow only 10 people into the tomb when it’s happening.

For more information check out the unofficial site at : http://www.knowth.com