As you can tell by the title, this post covers our last planned adventure of the trip, which consists of tours and more sight seeing of the beautiful landscape and history of Ireland. It is bittersweet to think about the fact that the trip is coming to an end, but I am eternally grateful for all that I have seen and experienced throughout this trip and am so happy I had the opportunity to go on so many adventures.
For our last weekend trip we got to see a ton of the Celtic Boyne Valley, and according to my coworkers I have seen more of the Boyne Valley than they have. We started the day off at the Hill of Tara. I learned about the history of St. Patrick and his significance spreading Christianity throughout Ireland and how aspects of Paganism blended into Christianity, and about the history and significance of the Stone of Destiny and how Kings used to come to place their hands on the stone to test if they are the true king of Ireland. I also put my hands on the stone and was not surprised when the stone did not scream (which is what signifies if you are the true king of Ireland, no one has received the title yet).
Following the Hill of Tara, we got a tour of the Trim Castle where the famous movie Braveheart was filmed. It was very interesting to walk through the castle and learn about how the castle changed and developed throughout the decades under different leadership and the significance the castle held as a key stronghold in the Norman invasion, controlling a vital crossing point on the banks of the River Boyne. My favorite part of the tour was learning about all of the strategic features in the castle making it easier to defend such as the singular entrance and the clockwise stairs.
After the tour of Trim Castle, we went to the Loughcrew Passage Tomb which was quite scenic. Despite having to climb up quite a large hill, it was very worth it. You could see for what felt like hundreds of miles of beautiful green countryside. The vast greenery has remained to be one of my favorite parts of touring Ireland.
After getting a quick bite to eat near the Loughcrew Passage Tomb, we had the opportunity to get a private tour of the Hill of Uisneach. Being an ancient ceremonial site, it is considered the mythological and sacred center of Ireland. Historically, it is believed to be the meeting point of Ireland’s five provinces and the symbolic home of the goddess Ériu, for whom the island is named. It was very cool to learn about how the site is a key location for the Beltane fire festivals, representing unity, renewal, and spiritual connection. It is supposed to be said that you can see over two thirds of Ireland at the top of the hill and it definitely felt like you could.
These amazing experiences were a fun and fascinating way to end our tours of Ireland, and I am once again never going to forget these adventures. The beautiful scenery mixed with the deep rich history has completely changed my views on Ireland and developed my understanding of Irish culture and the world so much that I will forever be grateful. I am sad the trip will be over soon but will cherish these memories and reflect on my time here for the rest of my life (I can’t believe there is only one week left, feels like this is my third week here).
