Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/586302
FALL/ WINTER 2015 DREAMSCAPES 13 While Dublin remains a very walkable city, the hop on/hop off bus visits all the major attractions. For a unique street-level perspective, there's kayaking on the Liffey, and to delve into the personality of Dublin, there's nothing like cycling the streets. My guide Julian related history, gossip and poetry as he revealed hidden gems ranging from the Roe Distillery windmill to the Blessington Street Basin Reservoir, and the dramatic statue of the Children of Lir in Parnell Square's Garden of Remembrance, commemorating "those who gave their lives in the fight for Irish freedom." ANCIENT DISCOVERIES For a memorable immersion into Ireland's beginnings, a trip to Newgrange and the Boyne Valley, "Ireland's Heritage Capital," is only an hour outside the city. With Kieran Cathcart, the owner of TourDublin, as my guide, we drove to Newgrange, a "passage tomb" that is 1,000 years older than Stonehenge. It's a round structure, completely filled with rocks except for two small antechambers and one larger chamber. During the winter sol- stice, the sun's rays creep through an opening above the passage entrance and illuminate the chamber. An annual lottery is used to select a lucky few to witness this mystical phenomenon. At nearby Monasterboice, a thousand- year-old round tower stands guard over three intricately carved preaching crosses, which depict biblical stories from Adam and Eve to the sacrifice of Isaac and the cruci- fixion. The height and detail of the 5.2-metre Muiredach Cross makes this a memorable visit, regardless of religious belief. Afterward, with the greenery of the Boyne Valley stretching out as far as the eye can see, we visited the ruins of Slane Abbey and the Franciscan Friary, complete with eerie gar- goyles peering out from crumbling stones. The next morning I drove south to Glendalough—the glen of two lakes— to visit the monastic retreat of St. Kevin. A 30-metre capped round tower and a stone- roofed church are positioned against a background of tranquil streams and misty mountains. For the adventurous, the Upper Road leads to a wooden plank path and on to the mountain summit for breath- taking views. Down the road at Glendalough House Equestrian Centre, I met Lorraine Keith who introduced me to BC, my sturdy Irish Cob. We set off on a horse trek around the estate, beside the "famine walls," through the woods, past a few curious deer—all in the shelter of the Wicklow Mountains. It was an invigorating, educational and pho- tographic experience. On my last day, at Malahide Castle, I toured the ancestral home of the Talbot family. Visitors can learn about the history of the castle and wander through the beau- tiful gardens and castle grounds. FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: The capped round tower at Glendalough is con- sidered one of the most beautiful in Ireland. Chris Hill/Tourism Ireland Parts of Malahide Castle date back to the 12 th century. Brian Morrison/Tourism Ireland