Full Day Tour - Boyne Valley Tour

SAMPLE TOUR TIMING

» 0900-1030 Drive to Monasterboice

» 1030-1115 Visit the Monastic site of Monasterboice

» 1115-1200 Drive along the Boyne River to the town of Drogheda

» 1200-1315 Explore Drogheda and enjoy lunch on your own

» 1315-1345 Travel to Bru na Boinne

» 1400-1545 Visit to Bru na Boinne with a visit to Knowth (VISIT NOT BOOKED)

» 1545-1700 Drive back to the ship

TOUR DESCRIPTION

This tour to the Boyne Valley brings us to one of Ireland’s most ancient and historic areas.  Some of Ireland’s first inhabitants settled in this fertile valley and their traces can still be found today. You will visit the Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre, designed to interpret the archaeological heritage of the Boyne Valley, which includes the megalithic passage tombs of Knowth. The tour continues to Drogheda, celebrating its charter over 800 years ago where you are free for lunch.

Proceed north from Dublin to County Meath, also known as the ‘Royal County’ where you will visit the monastic site at Monasterboice. Monasterboice is an old Irish monastery founded by St. Buite in the early 6th century. Dominated by a round tower, its main glories are the two 9th century high crosses decorated with biblical scenes from the Old and New Testaments. One of them, Muiredach’s Cross, is possibly the best known of Ireland’s high crosses.Drive along the River Boyne.

After the visit to Monasterpice, enjoy vistas of some of the finest agricultural land in Ireland on the way - this area is known as the Boyne Valley which is a composed of rich alluvial soil and location of the historically famous Battle of the Boyne.

Drogheda Town is a typical Irish large town, which has an open-air market Saturday morning in Bolton Square until 1PM. The market offers freshly grown farm produce, Fresh cakes and bread, vegetables, Fruit, flowers, clothing, hardware, toys, tools, jewellery, fancy goods on a wide range of open-air stalls. The town has it self has several land marks which include the Magdalene Tower, once centre point to a Dominician Monastery and St. Peter’s R.C. Church in West Street is world famous for housing the shrine of St Oliver Plunkett.

Enjoy a walk around the town and free time for lunch

Drive from Drogheda to the Bru na Boinne visitors centre which houses many exciting exhibitions, the most spectacular of which is a full-scale replica of the passage and chamber at Newgrange. Other displays include how the megalithic monuments were constructed, information on the way of life of the Neolithic builders, their homes, their religious beliefs and their art.

We will visit the great burial mound at Knowth. These passage tombs date from the Stone Age (c. 3000 BC). Knowth has the greatest collection of the passage tomb art ever uncovered in Western Europe. The site was used in many later periods and in the Early Christian era was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland.

Visitors to Knowth will be brought around the exterior of the monuments, seeing at first hand Europe’s greatest collection of Neolithic art.

After Knowth - return to Dublin via the Port Tunnel back to the ship.