Visiting some of the ancient monuments in the Boyne Valley is a must for all visitors to Ireland. But nowhere can you experience the past more impressively than in Newgrange’s central chamber. The Brú na Boinne (pronounced ‘broo-na-boyne’) site in County Meath is well managed and the guided tours will provide an educational and most of all unique experience. This is one of the places in Ireland that will take your breath away simply by being there. Even on a tight budget, tours are not to be missed.
Pros
- Ireland’s most important prehistoric site
- Expert guides
- Very good visitor center
- Excellent organization of tour programming.
Cons
- Tours can fill up quickly in summer
Description
- Ancient passage tombs in the Boyne Valley, collectively known as Bru na Bóinne
- The tomb in the Newgrange passage was erected around 3200 BC. C., long before the pyramids.
- Natural light reaches Newgrange’s central chamber only at sunrise during the winter solstice.
Brú na Boinne – The Newgrange and Knowth Passage Tombs
Upon arrival, you will have to decide what to see. There are four options available to you: just the Visitor Center, the Center and Newgrange or Knowth… or both. The prices may seem high, but you will get a good exhibition, an audiovisual show, bus transfers, and a tour of the passing tombs. There may be a wait time before your tour begins. Come early – if you arrive in the afternoon in summer, you can find all day tours fully booked!
Your guide will meet you on site and take you around the area, giving you a potted history and useful information on construction methods. Obviously some guides are more enthusiastic than others, but none of the eight guides I have experienced were below average. They were all well informed and none seemed bored.
The tour of Knowth will take you to an antechamber created for visitor access and allowing a glimpse of the passages. You will not be able to visit the central chambers. Instead, you can go up to the grave. The Newgrange tour does not allow for this, but here you will be taken to the spectacular central chamber. Be careful: the passage is narrow and you have to duck! Add in the fact that you will be told about the immense weight of the stones on your head without any mortar holding them together.
The winter solstice simulation requires the camera to sink into total darkness. Claustrophobic visitors should definitely refrain from entering Newgrange! For everyone else, it is an impressive experience.
Note that you can actually see the Newgrange burial mound for free from the public thoroughfare, but you will not be allowed entry to the actual site or the passage tomb. And there are parking restrictions in place. Knowth is not visible from the road (at least not in its entirety) and you would have to trespass private land to get a free viewing. It’s a different story with Dowth – access here is free and you can explore the site on your own. If you climb to the top of the Dowth Mound, you can see Newgrange in the distance.
Combination tours that will also take you to Tara are available from Dublin; If you use your own (rental) car, you will also be able to fit on Slane Hill on a day trip.
