The more research that I do on my Irish ancestors, the more that I'd like to know about Irish history. I barely touched the tip of the iceberg when we visited Ireland in 2004. We did go to Newgrange in County Meath which is a megalithic passage tomb mound built around 3,000 B.C. That is old. In fact, Newgrange is older than the pyramids in Egypt.
We also visited Monasterboice in Co. Louth where there are 10th Century high crosses. In Dublin, we visited Trinity College and saw the book of Kells (produced as early as the 6th Century), Dublin Castle (which has a few older foundations under it), and the Guinness Brewery. We also drove around the countryside visiting Waterford Crystal in the town of Waterford. It was a place before there was crystal! Blarney and Bunratty Castles were also on the list. To be honest, I had a tough time paying attention at the Craggaunowen. I actually got a little bored.
The history of Ireland is so interwoven in their day-to-day lives that the couple of hundred year old (or older) pub still serves patrons everyday with entertainment at night. And there's not just one pub like that. The living past is everywhere in Ireland and you don't just have to go see it at the Craggaunowen.
The more I research my family tree, the more that I want to go back to Ireland and tour the locations where my ancestors lived. Counties Louth, Meath, and Longford have so much to offer the tourist. This tourist would also be looking to get a glimpse of where her lineage originated. As least as far back as I know. I'd also like to visit other counties including Clare, Limerick, Monaghan and Fermanagh but want to complete more research as to where my ancestors truly originated. I don't want to fly completely blind but know that visiting the probable locations of where my ancestors originated may have to be an educated best guess. At least there's no guessing in Louth.
To be continued...............
No comments:
Post a Comment