Trip to Loughcrew...

Day 7: Loughcrew or Slieve na Caillaigh - The Hill of the Hag was the destination for the day's field trip. On the bus at 10am we were off for about an hour's drive through the usual pretty rolling countryside. In the Midlands where we are located the hills break up the bottom of the bowl that is the topography of Ireland. All of the significant elevation occurs primarily on the shores of the island leaving the lowest elevation (the bottom of the bowl) for the center.

We get to Loughcrew gardens to eat lunch only to find that they are not ready for us...that's okay we use the toilets and get back on the bus and head for the hill. Loughcrew is the site of several passage tombs from neolithic times. That means that the incredibly huge boulders were moved by hand or maybe rolling logs from far and wide to find pieces that would fit. Some of the rocks can be traced from over 100 miles away. Remember..Neolithic over 5000 years ago. (And engineers can't keep New Orleans from flooding in modern times...)

One of the legends surrounding these tombs is that the Caillaigh (the hag or witch) was issued a challenge for supremacy of Ireland if she could gather up these stones and carry them in her apron leaping from mountain/hilltop to the next. At each location she lost some of her stones depositing them in just the right way to create the passage tombs. Many of the neolithic sites have been stripped for stones but not so much here. The legend of the Caillaigh kept the locals from taking too many of the stones in fear of reprisal. So the tombs are relatively intact and amazing to see. You can actually go in with a guide and see the interior...

Entrance to the Passage Tomb

The passage tombs generally correspond to some lunar event. Here at Loughcrew the Spring/Autumn Equinox brings a shaft of light down the passage to illuminate the inner chambers and the carving contained within.

 Steep climb up to the tombs with breathtaking views...it was a sunny/perfect day.

The Hags Seat

Me in the Hag's Seat!