day 12: Bru na Boinne & Guinness

location: Bru na Boinne, St. James' Gate
transportation: passenger van to Bru na Boinne and back; back on foot in Dublin
distance: 7.78 miles
sights: Knowth, Dowth (from a distance), Newgrange, Guinness Experience
dining: giant eclair in the cafeteria of the visitor's center for "lunch" and tasty Mexican back in Dublin.

details: Bru na Boinne is one of my favorite tourist sights in Ireland. like Stonehenge but older and at least as impressive. there are three monuments at Bru na Boinne, situated in a bend of the River Boyne to the north of Dublin and west of Drogheda -- Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth. on my first visit I opted for the Newgrange-only ticket, it being the most elaborately-restored of the sites. this time, however, we started with Knowth and were not disappointed.

after the guide showed us around the site, explaining the evolution of the sites usage and inhabitants, we had time to investigate on our, climbing to the top of the mound to survey the country with views to Dowth (the smallest of the mounds, which isn't currently open to the public), the Hill of Tara, and Slane Castle. Knowth itself is also surrounded by some 17 smaller mounds, as well as an impressive array of intricately carved kerb stones, which depict some of the best-preserved megalithic art in Europe.

while we could climb atop the mound, we weren't permitted down the passage at Knowth - over time, the top of the mound slid down the sides, which made the interior unstable. the entire mound was painstakingly dismantled in the mid-to-late 20th century for research purposes before being restored, but the structural integrity cannot be guaranteed and, thus, visitors are not allowed into the central chambers.

the opposite is the case at Newgrange. the mound has remained structurally sound since it was constructed and, while visitors aren't allowed to climb atop it, they are able to venture into the central chamber, where the guide offers a simulation of being inside the chamber at sunrise on the winter solstice, when sunlight comes over the top of the hill across the valley, enters through a small space above the passage entrance, climbs the passage and illuminates the room for some handful of minutes before disappearing nearly as quickly.

back in Dublin, the Guinness Experience is truly unique. it is unquestionably the most elaborate brewery "tour" I've ever encountered, with elaborate graphics to help explain the brewing process, and carefully plotted routes to keep the huge number of visitors moving to their ultimate goal -- a pint at the top of the building, probably with panoramic views out over Dublin. as we've both been through numerous breweries, the most interesting piece of the "educational" experience was that detailing the work and lives of coopers at St. James' Gate during the early 20th century. the skill and speed of the men who cranked out the hundreds and thousands of barrels necessary to distribute Guinness was astounding. and almost as interesting was the speed with the profession declined with the advent of stainless steel kegs - that such a valued, well-paid profession disappeared in the space of a few years is staggering to contemplate.

finally we reached the top of the building, turned in our ticket stubs for pints to enjoy while trying to find space along the windows to enjoy the aforementioned panoramic views. a fitting way to toast our time in Ireland.