1. From Dublin: Celtic Boyne Valley Tour
Join this tour for a day of time travel, visiting the Neolithic tombs of Loughcrew, the predominantly Iron Age Hill of Tara, the 7th Century Christian monastery of Fore Abbey, and the Anglo-Norman Trim castle. This Celtic tour along Ireland’s Ancient East brings you to the historically significant Boyne valley situated in County Meath (the Royal County) from where the ancient High Kings of Ireland ruled. Then, visit The Hill of Tara, best known for having been the royal residence of the ancient High Kings that ruled Ireland in Celtic times and beyond. It is said that a quarter of Ireland’s landscape can be seen from this hill. Take in this spectacular vista before heading back to the capital. You then travel to Trim Castle, the best preserved, most impressive example of Anglo-Norman castles in Ireland. It offers a spectacular insight into the lives and traditions of the people from the middle ages. Next we head to Loughcrew, the site of multiple passage tombs from the Neolithic age that are 5000 years old. Get up close and personal to pre-history in these cairns with its still-intact rock art, lavishly decorating the inside walls (built more than 500 years before the first pyramids). For our last visit we will take a trip to Fore Abbey, the site where St. Fechin founded a Christian monastery in the 7th Century. It’s believed that before his death, 300 monks lived in the community. Later, the monastery was set on fire 12 times. Among the remains on site, visitors can see St. Fechin’s church, built about 900 AD.