The Ham Nomads

18 Jun 2014. <IE> Collon, Co. Louth; Hill of Tara, & Bective, & Trim, Co. Meath —

Started the day near Drogheda. Went into the town, just to get our bearings. Called into the Tourist Information Centre, who were able to give us a public transport guide for Dublin, which was our aim in there. Looks as if all will be A-OK for Dublin!

Monasterboice
West Cross

Left town, went out to Mellifont Abbey, but found it was closed until July 1. Weren't going to wait around till then, so went on a couple of kilometres (as was our plan anyway) to Monsterboice (Mainistir Bhuithe). This site absolutely confounded us. It was named for St Buite, Buite mac Bronaig, an Irish monk, a follower of St Patrick. He died on 7 December 521, the day St Columba was born. The site has three high crosses, two of which (the South Cross, or Cross of Muiredach, and the West Cross, or Tall Cross) are regarded as two of the finest in Ireland. Their state of preservation is amazing, in spite of their standing unprotected for the last 1200 years! There is also a round tower and the remains of two churches. There was a group of people sitting at the entrance to welcome and introduce visitors to the site. We got into conversation with them — they couldn't have been more helpful — once again the Irish loquacity made its presence felt in a most welcoming and friendly manner! They even gave us some tips, at the end of our time here, about how to manage our stay in Dublin a bit later on, tips that we will be taking full note of! The site is very popular. While we were there, at least two tour buses came through.

Tara, looking across Royal Seat (the main ditch complex)

St Patrick Statue

After Monasterboice, we went on to the Hill of Tara (picking up oil and petrol at a service station suggested by our friends at Monasterboice). The Hill of Tara is central to the Irish psyche, its name coming from 'Teamhair na Rí' — the sanctuary of the kings. The kings of Tara always had a special power, and in the 9th century the title became synonymous with the High King of Ireland. Even in 1843, about a million people assembled here to hear Daniel 'The Liberator' O'Connor speak against the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.

Lia Fáil

In 1902 Douglas Hyde, George Moore and William Butler Yeats (remember Yeats?) described it in a letter to the Times as 'the most consecrated spot in Ireland'. There are prehistoric monuments on this site, including mounds containing passage tombs, many circumscribed by ring walls and ditches. On top of one mound, the Forrádh (Royal Seat) is a standing stone, Lia Fáil — when a true Irish or Scottish King placed his foot on Lia Fáil it was said to cry out to announce his rightful reign. We, and numerous other people, took advantage of a beautiful day to explore this site thoroughly!

Bective Abbey

Then we set off for Trim. On the way, just short of Trim we had noticed a Bective Abbey marked on our road atlas, so we decided to take our path past it, and we dropped in. This is a site under OPW protection, but has not been developed. This, Ireland's second Cistercian abbey, was founded in 1147 as a daughter house to Mellifont.

Mountaineers

Suppressed during Henry VIII's dissolution of the Monasteries in 1543, it was rented and turned into a fortified house (when its tower was constructed). The remains now visible date from the 13th to the 15th centuries. This abbey was used as a location for the film 'Braveheart' in 1995. Today, it has become a popular picnic spot for the locals, and the local lads have a fine time climbing all over and through it, and jumping the gaps in the walls.

Trim Castle

Talking of 'Braveheart', our next location was also used in this film. This is Trim Castle, the largest and best-preserved Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. The name is from 'Áth Truim' ('the Ford of the Elder Trees'), as it was built at an important fording point of the River Boyne. Earlier, there had been a 5th century chief's fort and after that an early monastery at this point.

Trim Castle grounds (Banquet Hall, Dungeon, River Gate)

In 1172, Hugh de Lacy constructed a wooden fort here, which was very soon sacked and burnt by the Irish. Not to be outdone, de Lacy built a more permanent stone structure and over the years he and his son constructed the largest Anglo-Norman Castle in Europe. It remained a vital part of the defence of English interests in Ireland until well into the 16th century, although by this time it was in decline.

Inside the keep

The castle keep now is a hollow shell, in that all the internal timber flooring — it was a three-storey structure — has disappeared. OPW has taken the decision to put a translucent tent-like roof over the top to protect it, and has constructed gangways across each of the floor levels to allow visitors access, but to keep the openness of the ruined keep. Different, but it works! There are three well-constructed models of the keep at various stages of its development. We went on the guided tour, then had to leave as it was 6pm and the site was about to close. We decided to stay in the area and return for more time at Trim Castle in the morning. So we went back to park outside Bective Castle for the night.

Distance driven — today, 56 miles ( 91 km ); to date, 2,723 miles ( 4,383 km )