Newgrange and Knowth are only two sites from the massive Boyne Valley cluster of the Megalithic Passage Tombs. The mega-Tombs were (and sometimes still are) surrounded by smaller mounds / cairns, places of worship, decorated stones of various sizes and unknown purposes, and ruins of various settlements from their 5,000-year long history.

The passage “tombs” were in fact not only tombs (although some human remains have been found there) but most likely centres of spiritual and ceremonial life, temples and astrological observatories. They were very precisely aligned to allow the sun rays through the stone passages during solstice or equinox. This feature can be still observed in Newgrange but unfortunately not in Knowth as the mound has been badly damaged over the years, covered to a large extend and uncovered again – and it even had a ditch, a village, a fort and a farm built on top throughout its history.

The sites haven’t changed one bit since my previous visit in 2010… After all what’s 5 years in a 5 THOUSAND years lifespan!