The sun shining through the passage tomb at Newgrange at the
winter solstice was one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Five thousand years ago, was this a burial mound for kings? A
place of ritual? An astrological calendar? Now it is a UNESCO
world heritage site. Our ancient heritage is all around us – no
wonder we have so many myths and legends. Turn off the motorway
and you’ll find standing stones, fairy forts, stone circles,
burial mounds and dolmens that have intrigued travellers for
centuries. You could spend days in the Boyne Valley, visiting
Brú na Bóinne and the Hill of Tara. Or take a trip to an island:
the Iron Age fort, Dun Aengus, has survived on Inis Mór for 2000
years, while Skellig Michael, off the Kerry coast, dates from
the 7th century. This monastic complex perched on a rock is also
a UNESCO world heritage site. You could check out the Bronze Age
stone circles in Cork and Kerry or the Céide Fields in North
Mayo, the most extensive Stone Age site in the world. Or visit
the National Museum