Ancient Ireland

People first came to Ireland about 8,000 years ago, after then end of the last Ice Age. There is little visitor-accessible sites before the Bronze Age, approximately 5,000 years ago. This itinerary will explore sites all across the country, from Dublin (artifacts at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street) to Mayo on the west coast and even Inishmor island, one of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay.

On the afternoon of Day 1, we will start the itinerary with a visit to the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street in the center of Dublin and beside Dail Eireann, the seat of Ireland’s government.

Day 2 will involve a visit to one of the most dramatic man-made structures in Ireland or even Europe: Newgrange megalithic tomb in County Meath.

In addition, we will visit nearby Loughcrew megalithic cemetery.

Day 3 will include a visit to Sliabh Caileach, the witches hill (“sliabh” means hill in Gaelic)

Day 4 will explore sites in the Irish Midlands: Corlea Trackway in County Offaly and the Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath.

On Day 5 we will visit Carrowmore megalithic complex of County Sligo. Just a few miles outside Sligo town, the site comprises over 35 passage tombs, constructed almost 6,000 years ago.

Day 6 takes us to the far west of Ireland, to Ceide Fields neolithic site on the northern coast of County Mayo.

For Day 7, we visit Inishmor Island, one of the Aran Islands off Galway, to visit Dun Aonghasa stone fort.

Day 8 takes us to the remarkable landscape of The Burren in County Clare and the Poulnabrone dolmen, a single-chamber portal tomb estimated to be 5,500 years old.

For our last day, Day 9, we will visit Lough Gur is a site, significance in South East Limerick.), site of human habitation dating back 6,000 years into the mists of the Irish neolithic era.