We explored a bit of Belfast today, but stayed away from the Falls Road-Shankill area where the "Peace Line" between the Protestant and Catholic areas of the city is. Probably the most popular "sight" in Belfast is the magnificent City Hall building. We did a little shopping, and then hit the road, driving southwest to Armagh on our way to Dublin, hoping to visit St. Patrick’s Trian and Armagh Ancestry. On the way, it rained off and on, and we stopped for a pint at Corrigan’s Lounge, about halfway to Armagh. (Actually, it was closed, but after we’d knocked on the door and went ‘round the corner, Corrigan himself came after us, inviting us in.) It was all of 30 seconds before the locals started coming in. Corrigan was the prototypical talkative, rough-hewn Irishman, with a day’s stubble and heavy smile lines deeply etched into his reddish face. He used to be a border guard for the police, but he said the stress of the Troubles took its toll on both him and his family, so he decided to retire. Once in Armagh, we found Armagh Ancestry open. I got plenty of souvenirs for the family, including a surname search on the origin of the name Murphy. I also found out that tracing my ancestry through my grandfather, Patrick Murphy, would be costly with what little information I had, since the Murphys had been really prolific, and there were many men named Patrick. Kind of like John Smith or something…

Just past Drogheda, we passed the River Boyne and took the turn-off to Newgrange, an incredible passage tomb that's one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Europe.

Built in 3500 BC, Newgrange predates Stonehenge by about 1000 years, and the Egyptian pyramids by more than 1000 years. It took over 70 years to build, using only stone and bone tools to fashion the 328 feet diameter of this pre-Celtic cathedral. Not a dollop of mortar holds the 200 thousand tons of stone together. This fact was not lost on us as we squeezed through the cramped, claustrophobic tunnel running from the northeast 62 feet into the center of the chamber.

Passage tombs are thought to be ancient cemeteries, and Newgrange is where the Ancient Kings of Ireland are thought to be buried. Like most passage tombs, Newgrange consists of a round mound or cairn with a long stone lined passage leading from the outside to a chamber within. Situated on a hilltop, the mound is enclosed by a circle of twelve standing stones.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Newgrange does not have to do with geology, but rather astronomy. During the five dawns surrounding the winter solstice, the " roof box" (located just above the horizontal stone above the entrance) catches the sunrise and draws a shaft of light into the entire length of the entrance. Shooting through the entrance at dawn, the beam of light bounces off a smoothly polished stone at the back of the tunnel and floods the chamber.

The entrance to Newgrange is dominated by the curbstone - a massive stone with three spirals carved in it. It is not only one of the most remarkable stones in the Newgrange complex, but in the whole of megalithic art. Each carved motif is said to have a meaning of its own and the triple spiral is no exception. There are several theories about its meaning. One story has it that the High King Cormac MacAirt who reigned in nearby Tara, did not want to be buried in such an "idolatrous place". So when his subjects tried to take his body from Tara to Newgrange for burial, the River Boyne supposedly "swelled up thrice" to prevent the body from crossing, hence the triple spiral. (Cormac was buried at Ros-na Righ on the opposite side of the river from Newgrange.) Another theory is that the triple spiral represents the great god Aengus protecting the fabled lovers Dian-nud and Grainne. The Bruna Boinne, as the Newgrange complex is known, has also been called the House of Aengus. Yet a third theory has it that the triple spiral represents the Triads of ancient Ireland. These Triads were cultural observations on life and many have come down to modern times, such as: "Three things that cannot be acquired; voice, generosity and poetry" or "Three most beautiful things to see; a garden covered in blossoms, a full rigged ship and a woman with child."

On our way back from the cairn, it began to sprinkle. The entire group of visitors stopped on the bridge over the River Boyne to watch a farmer and his dog herd cattle into the barn. The farmer started off by calling the cows in, and the dog made a beeline for the ones who dawdled, circling each one in turn, yapping continuously. The laggards bellowed, but got immediately to their feet and headed for the barn, proving once again that actions speak louder than words (moos?).

This idyllic area was the setting for the 1690 Battle of the Boyne, in which the Catholic forces of James II fought the armies of William of Orange and lost. The oppression of Catholics ensued, along with the yearly July 12th Protestant parades through Catholic neighborhoods.

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