GO IRELAND:Neolithic monuments and chambers of the dead are scattered all over the country. They're a legacy worth seeing, writes Amanda Phelan
AFTER THE DARKEST night of each year the feeble light of the rising sun shines on to a cairn of stones on the crest of Loughcrew, or Hill of the Witch, in Co Westmeath. An extraordinary feat of prehistoric architecture means the light illuminates the length of a passage hewn into the hill. As it has done for 7,000 years, this beam shines on to a flat altar stone at the back of the passage. The light strikes first on a fist-sized carving of the sun, and as the real thing rises in the east its rays pass over a series of Stone Age engravings. The spotlight moves diagonally to highlight another etching - and then, after less than an hour, the light is gone.
Welcome to the world of the megaliths - the mighty stones. These Neolithic monuments are scattered around the country, linear chambers to the dead that pay tribute to the gods of the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars. And anyone can visit.
They're a home-grown tourist attraction etched in stone, and they draw kings and queens, politicians and the occasional rock star. They've got love and hatred, visionaries and heretics. There's sex and death and joy and betrayal. And it's right here in our backyard.
Although sites such as Newgrange and Tara, in Co Meath, attract thousands of visitors from all over the world, many of our megaliths aren't so famous, and in the off-peak months you stand a good chance of being the sole visitor.
Clambering inside cairns on a mountain in Co Sligo, even your breath quietens as you creep deeper into the dark.
Touch the grey layers of sandstone and limestone at a Burren passage tomb, in Co Clare, and get goosebumps as you feel the strength of an ancient race that could haul into place capstones weighing up to six tons to form stone talismans that were once the spiritual, and social, heart of their communities.
Some of the megaliths are known only to the farmers on whose fields they lie. In the Burren, Carleton Jones, an author and lecturer at NUI Galway, was told of a tomb hidden by a thicket of hazel. The archaeologist hacked away at the foliage and was so taken by what he found he spent the next five years excavating and recording. Then he returned each stone exactly as he found it, pushing the specially shaped rocks back to seal the site, just as the caretakers did thousands of years ago before they left two arrows plunged into the entrance - as a warning and a sign of strength?
The spiral patterns found inside some of these ancient stone talismans are similar to the shapes people describe when they hallucinate. Some say this shows the ancients liked to get high - possibly aided by mushrooms or opium poppies - and sit inside the chambers.
"We think they were using hallucinogens to travel to other worlds," says Dr Jones, an academic from California who was lured here by our monuments.
In his new book, Temples of Stone, he writes: "Lab experiments combined with the accounts of poets, drug-takers and shamans show that if a person is induced to hallucinate, the first hallucinations tend to be bright, pulsating geometric forms."
There's no written record or design to tell us what these Neolithic sites truly represent, but they are a powerful legacy for many visitors.
"I felt like weeping when I stood inside the passageway," says Mary Harris, a 70-year-old tourist from London, who joined a tour of megalith sites close to Dublin.
There are hundreds of megalithic sites you can check out for yourself. In his book, Jones nominates his top 100. We've come up with some examples of our own that are a worthwhile holiday destination or a pleasant day trip.
•Temples of Stone , by Carleton Jones, is published by The Collins Press, €27.95
Loughcrew
WhereThe Loughcrew cairns, Corstown, Oldcastle, Co Meath.
Getting thereThree kilometres east of Oldcastle off the R163, about 80km northwest of Dublin.
CostFree. There are fantastic Office of Public Work tours in summer. In winter you can obtain the key from the cafe at nearby Loughcrew Gardens, for a €50 deposit.
What there is to seeThirty-two cairns (the mounds of stones on top of passage tombs). Like other passage graves, they have clear astrological alignments. In summer the grassy dome of Loughcrew is a gentle place to take in views across to the Hill of Tara, and even to Carrig Mór, in Northern Ireland. For generations Loughcrew has been known locally as the Hill of the Witch. Inside the main cairn lies a cruciform chamber with a corbelled roof and some beautiful examples of Neolithic art that is illuminated by sunlight during the vernal and autumn equinoxes, in late March and late September.
Carrowmore
WhereCarrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, Carrowmore, Co Sligo.
Getting thereTravel south from Sligo on the N4 towards Dublin. Six kilometres south of Sligo town, turn west off the N4 on to the R292 (signposted to Strandhill). Then follow the small brown monument signs to Carrowmore car park and visitor centre.
Cost€2.10 for the central tomb at Carrowmore.
What there is to seeCarrowmore is a Neolithic graveyard in a grassy field. It is centred around a partly restored central tomb. This central tomb is a box-like structure that is roofed with a limestone capstone that weighs about six tonnes. It's best to visit by car. With your own transport you can also visit the nearby megaliths at Carrowkeel, a magic and remote collection of cairns on a mountain you'll often get to yourself. You can clamber through narrow passages into the centre of these 14 sunken burial chambers.
Queen Medbh's tomb
WhereKnocknarea, Co Sligo.
Getting thereTravel six kilometres south from Sligo on the N4. Turn west off the N4 on to the R292. Follow the Knocknarea signs for about six kilometres to the base of Knocknarea. Take a 30-minute hike up the steep path to the cairn.
CostFree, but you'll pay in pants during the steep climb.
What there is to seeCalled the "ultimate monument", a spectacular cairn on the flat top of Knocknarea. Like most tombs, this one has a story attached. Medbh killed her sister, who was a rival for the attentions of a local chieftain. She was later attacked by a vengeful nephew, who shot a hardened piece of cheese from his slingshot, hitting the queen on the head and killing her. She is said to be buried standing up in the cairn, in full armour, holding her shield and spear.
Poulnabrone
WherePoulnabrone dolmen, the Burren, Co Clare.
Getting therePoulnabrone is at the centre of the Burren beside the R480, visible from the road.
CostFree.
What there is to seePoulnabrone is a four-sided and delicately balanced capstone containing 7,000-year-old bones. At least 21 people are thought to have been buried inside the tomb over a 600-year period.
Parknabinnia
WhereParknabinnia wedge tomb, Roughan Hill, Co Clare.
Getting thereParknabinnia is a tomb at Roughan Hill north of Corofin, on the R476 towards Kilfenora.
CostFree.
What there is to seeThe Parknabinnia chambered tomb was discovered after a farmer reported an ancient site hidden under his hazel copse.
Cloghanmore
WhereCloghanmore court tomb, Malin More, Glencolmcille, Co Donegal.
Getting thereFrom Glencolmkille head west on the R263. After four kilometres you pass the hotel and golf course Óstán Ghleann Cholm Cille on the right. Turn left at the next crossroads. Proceed for two kilometres and park in a small car park on the right. A small bridge leads from the car park on to a path that leads west across the bog to the tomb. The nearest town is Carrick.
CostFree.
What there is to seeA large court tomb and capstone. This tomb, which is best visited in drier weather, is oriented east to west, which is unusual.
Brownshill
WhereBrownshill portal tomb, Carlow, Co Carlow.
Getting thereThree kilometres east of Carlow town. It is signposted from the car park beside the Renault dealership.
CostFree.
What there is to seeA steeply angled capstone thought to be the largest in Europe, estimated to weigh more than 100 tons, resting on two portal stones.
Kilmogue
WhereKilmogue portal tomb, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny. Getting there It is seven kilometres from Mullinavat. Signposted as Leac an Scail dolmen.
CostFree.
What there is to seeThis is the tallest portal tomb in Ireland, at four and a half metres. Two standing stones form a huge entrance to the burial chamber, which is roofed by a steeply inclined five-metre capstone.
Labbacallee
WhereLabbacallee wedge tomb, Glanworth, Co Cork.
Getting thereIt is eight kilometres northwest of Fermoy. Nearest town is Glanworth. Turn east at the southern edge of village and drive for two kilometres. The tomb is beside the road.
CostFree.
What there is tosee This is a thick-walled wedge-shaped tomb. It is also known as the Hag's Bed.
Newgrange
WhereDonore, Co Meath.
Getting thereTwo kilometres west of Donore village on the south side of the river Boyne, about a 40-minute drive north of Dublin.
Cost€10.30 per adult (for exhibition and access to Newgrange and Knowth).
What there is to seeNewgrange is a kidney-shaped mound covering an area of more than an acre, surrounded by 97 kerbstones, some of them richly decorated with megalithic art. The 19m inner passage leads to a cruciform chamber with a corbelled roof. It's estimated this tomb took up to 50 years to construct. Famously, the sun picks out the ancient circular decorations in the rock on the day of the winter solstice, December 21st.
Brú Na Bóinne
WhereDonore, Co Meath.
Getting thereGo to Newgrange and take a bus from there to Brú Na Bóinne.
CostEntrance fee is included when you pay to visit Newgrange (see above). The bus is free.
What there is to seeThe great passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, are said to be the finest examples of their type. They're a home-grown tourist attraction. They've got love and hatred, visionaries and heretics. There's sex and death. And it's right in our own backyard.
Go there: Amanda Phelan was a guest of Tour the Ages, (01-6673423, www.tour theages.com), which specialises in historical and archaeological packages in Ireland, from neolithic times to the Reformation. Expert guides are on hand at each location, many from the Office of Public Works. The company also tailors tours for groups, including from universities and colleges. A three-day trip costs €450, including two nights' accommodation in Dublin.