DAY 75 FRIDAY JUNE 8 DROGHEDA HISTORY

Today Joan was our tour guide all day. First she showed us the huge cement factory that Cianan helped to build. Then she took us to Newgrange to see the neolithic burial chambers. We spent over three hours there and were fascinated the whole time. There were good museums in London and York but we thought this was the best we have been to and naturally Joan got us in for nothing as locals. The stonework was amazing after 5000 years.  These were people who had not the use of wheels but brought huge stones from all over the country.  Standing in the burial chamber watching a simulation of the sunrise on December 21 was eerie and felt like travelling in time.  You have to win a "lottery" to be there on that day.  After a lovely
morning tea we went to St Cianan's Church and saw the lime tree that was planted in the time of the battle of the Boyne. We had lunch at the Black Bull Hotel and finished the day with a tour of Millmount Tower where we saw where Oliver Cromwell's army overcame the royalists.  Then a personal tour of the museum by a lady that Joan knew and home to a lamb chop dinner cooked by Jim.  After that Fiona dropped in and gave us a warm welcome.  We had a phone call from Pam and hope to see her in Derry at 1.25 tomorrow.

ENTRANCE TO THE BURIAL CHAMBER

QUARTZ WALL SURROUNDING NEWGRANGE SITE

THE BLACK FOREST CAKE WAS IRRESISTIBLE

LIME TREE OVER 300 YEARS OLD

ST CIANAN'S CHURCH

ST CIANAN WAS ST PATRICK'S RIGHT HAND MAN

JOAN RELIVES A MEMORY

FIRST EVER PHOTO OF THE FOUR GRANDPARENTS