Leah's Visit to Ireland!

We spent Friday in Glendalough while Karen was at work. There's Leah in the background snapping away. It was nice to walk around with someone who takes as many pictures as we do.
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There were some spots near the waterfall that were so incredibly green with moss, trees and grass. It was really beautiful.
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I've said it before... this place photographs so well!
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We found a new little spot in Glendalough that was nice to explore, St. Kevin's Cell. We hadn't been in that part before and it was pretty neat!
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We had a pretty early night Friday. Leah had a little jet lag and was probably running on adrenaline the last half of the day. Saturday we spent walking through and sightseeing Dublin city center. Here we are in St. Stephen's Green.
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We stopped into Temple Bar, but it was too crowded so we had a pint just down the street.
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Karen and Leah on the north side of the popular Ha'Penny Bridge. It was built as a pedestrian bridge over the River Liffey in 1816.
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Sunday morning we started out to the Newgrange passage tombs in Co. Meath. These burial tombs have been dated to about 5200 years ago - making them older than the pyramids in Egypt!
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Here is the entry way to the tomb. The large square opening on the top of the doorway is what would let in the sunlight on the shortest day of the year. There is a lot of conjecture about the purpose and meaning of these tombs. Because there is no written account of them (it's a pre-historic site) the guides suggest that each visitor develop their own meaning and purpose based on individual observation and interpretation.
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Leah doesn't often pose for pictures, so this was a rare one! The weather was pretty agreeable today. Bright sunny blue skies nearly all day!
.These are the more common pictures of Leah... she's photographically vulnerable when taking her own pictures ; )
. I can't remember who, but Leah said someone she knew would get a kick out of this sign... "CHOPPER PARKING 50m".
. After our Newgrange tour, we headed south a little to Malahide Castle. Malahide and Newgrange are both not too far north of Dublin. It made the two trips really manageable in the same day.

What's amazing is that the castle is still in full original condition (except for the recently installed glass windows and TV antennas, etc.

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Here's a nice side view of the castle. Interestingly, with as many invading armies as came through Ireland, this castle remained in the control of the Talbot family for 791 years. There was only an 11 year period when Oliver Cromwell was in power that the Talbot's were dispossessed of the castle.

They took it back after Cromwell's demise.