A wintertime trip to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was prompted by a desire to visit the Newgrange Passage Tomb, near Dublin. From there, I went to Northern Ireland, the wonderful Antrim Coast on the North Atlantic Sea.

Newgrange, built around 3,200 B.C., probably served as more of a temple than a passage tomb, being a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance. Its roof window is aligned with the rising sun on the day of the winter solstice. Neglected for centuries, in 1962, Michael J. O’Kelly began excavating and restoring the tomb, completing the restoration in 1975. A large part of the mound remains unexplored. Although the restoration is controversial it did not ruin the tomb. I felt it as a place of power in a way that I’ve never felt elsewhere.