Amy and Kerry Cakebread’s house, Bettystown, Ireland
Written By: Valerie VanDyke
I slept really well, and woke up about 7:30 am. We all took turns getting showered and dressed, and then ate breakfast.
We took off about 9:00 am and drove about 1/2 hour to New Grange. This is an ancient site of mounds of earth made by people about 5,000 years ago, approximately 1000 years before Stonehenge. Very little is known about the people, mostly just what can be determined from what they left behind. We were taken in a bus to the mound and met a guide who told us about the site. Then we went inside the mound through a tunnel lined with large rocks, into a central chamber with three alcoves, one to the right that is slightly larger than the other two, and one straight ahead, and one to the left. Nobody knows exactly went on in here. Some skeletons were found, but only a few, and small pieces of bones in other areas. Lots of carvings In the stones, mostly circular designs, or chevrons, with an occasional fern (or wheat) like design. During the winter solstice the sun shines directly into the center of the chamber. There are other mounds in the area, very similar in size and shape, but some are situated to get the sunshine In the chamber during the summer, spring and fall solstices.
We were there about 1 1/2 hours, and then left to find a place for lunch. We ate at Katie’s Kitchen. I had a tuna, corn, and lemon mayo melt, on gluten free bread. Very good. I noticed Amy’s bowl of vegetable soup was puréed. I’ve noticed that most other soups are puréed here too. Maybe I’ll ask why sometime.
Kerry returned to work, and we went to the Lace Gallery in Carrickmacross. It was wonderful. I went to this place on the trip that I made to Ireland in 2008, and it was closed. We spent about 1/2 hour there. It was only one small room, but the docent spent a lot of time talking about the lace and demonstrating how lace is made. I bought a small piece.
After that we drove to two sites of very old ruined abbey’s from the Middle Ages, Monasterboice, and Old Mellifont Abbey. At Monasterboice they had an ancient Round Tower and several High Crosses.
These are about 10 feet high and carved with scenes from the Bible. Very special crosses.
Old Mellifont Abbey has been excavated and then landscaped beautifully and has printed signs with the histories as one walks around the site.
I fell asleep in the car a few times, and can hardly stay awake long enuf to eat dinner tonight. So early to bed again tonight.
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