belfast

on our second day, we went to belfast. belfast is an amazing city. we were very surprised. it is modern and vibrant. the waterfront has been developed over the past decade. it boasts beautiful glass buildings. i'll be sure to take pictures our next time up.

eric and the kids went to a science museum. they had loads of fun, take a look!

newgrange

i had a meeting in belfast so we rented a car for three days and proceeded to explore ireland.

on our first day, we went to newgrange and knowth. they are tombs over 5000 years old.

all around the mounds are stones that have been engraved with symbols. the kids loved running around and trying to figure out what they meant.

NEWGRANGE - histoire

Lundi dernier, le 2 août, nous sommes allés explorer Knowth et Newgrange.

Situés dans la vallée de la rivière Boyne, ces tumulus sont les sites archéologiques les plus célèbres de l'Irlande. Ce sont des tombes funéraires datant du Néolithique. Elles sont reconnues par l'UNESCO comme des sites du patrimoine

Le Néolithique est une période de la préhistoire qui est marquée par une certaine sédentarisation de la population, l'adoption de l'agriculture et l'élevage des animaux. Les outils utilisés par ces hommes préhistoriques sont fabriqués avec de la pierre polie. Aussi, la poterie en céramique se développe durant cette période.

Il y a 6000 ans, l'Irlande était couverte de forêt dense. Les Hommes coupent les arbres pour se construire des habitations et pour cultiver la terre. Ils habitent près de la rivière qu'ils utilisent pour se déplacer et pour se nourrir. Ils possèdent des connaissances inouïes en astrologie et en ingénierie. Ils ont édifier des tumulus possédant des tunnels parfaitement alignés avec la position du soleil à des moments précis du calendrier, le solstice d'hiver à Newgrange.

Ces constructions mégalitiques (monuments constitués de plusieurs pierres de grandes dimensions sans l’aide de mortier pour fixer la structure) plus vieilles que les pyramides d'Égypte et elles sont imperméables. De plus, les pierres proviennent de trois endroits différents situés à plus de 40 kilomètres de la rivière Boyne. Les experts estiment que les plus grosses pierres pèsent plus de 10 tonnes. La roue n'étant pas encore inventée, il aurait fallu plus de quatre jours à 80 hommes pour rouler une seules de ces pierres sur des troncs d'arbres! Aussi, les pierres auraient pû être transportée par voie maritime en dessous d'embarquations: dans l'eau, les pierres sont moitié moins lourdes...

Comme l'espérance de vie est évaluée à 30 ans et que la construction des tombes se serait étalée sur une soixantaine d'années, la transmission des savoirs était primordiale pour cette civilisation. Les tumulus sont des monuments transgénérationnels.

À Newgrange, la tombe en trois alcôves au bout du tunnel de 19 mêtres est dans l'obscurité la plus totale toute l'année sauf au solstice d'hiver: vers 9 heures 30, les rayons du soleil pénètrent et éclairent à peine l'intérieur: cette pénombre ne dure que 17 minutes, s'il fait soleil bien entendu. Remarquable!

Cinq matins chaque année, un tirage permet à 10 gagnants accompagnés (parmi 40 000 inscrits) d'assister à ce cérémonial. Mon nom est dans la boîte.

Tournée Mondiale Irlandaise / Irish World Tour

Nous partons pendant quelques jours. - We are taking our show on the road.

Pour explorer - To explore

Newgrange

Carrickfergus Castle

Giant's Causeway

The Duke

I was just browsing when I found interesting information about the Duke besides being the answer on Final Jeopardy.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, also known as the 'Iron Duke', was born in Dublin. He had been promoted field marshall when he commanded the allied army which defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

The Wellington Testimonial is an obelisk located in Phoenix Park, near the Dublin Zoo. At the base, there are four bronze plaques cast from cannons captured at Waterloo.

A Dublin legend suggests that a fund-raising dinner was held in the vault under the pillar in 1820, after which the vault was sealed up, leaving the dining tables and chairs behind. A week later, it was noticed that a butler had not been seen since the dinner, and it was assumed that he had drunk too much wine and remained unconscious and unnoticed behind a screen while the room was being sealed...

On a different note, there is a pub in Dublin called The Duke. It is located near Trinity College and I will stop in for a pint in the very near future...wishing I was standing at the bar with a foot on the rail inside the Iron Duke on Wellington.

Gros Plans

Journée tranquille aujourd'hui. On se remet de notre grosse partie de rugby d'hier. Alors, voici quelques photos farfelues des enfants.

Rugby Fixture

Today was our first time on the Dart. It was a short and intense ride for the tram was packed tight with rugby fans. Everyone was going to catch the first rugby fixture at the Aviva Stadium. Four years ago, the former Lansdowne Road was demolished. To mark the opening of the new stadium, the first game to be played was between two composite provincial rugby teams, a Leinster/Ulster selection against a Munster/Connacht team in front of 35 000 fans.

I had bought tickets back in June as soon as they went on sale. I had to order twice since I could only get a maximum of four at one time, but us being a family of five made things a little bit more complicated. So, I ordered three tickets at first. Then, on the second order, I needed only two. At checkout time, my credit card was rejected: only one order by card! We got them tix when Rachel stepped up with her own plastic card. Thinking that the delivery would be ASAP, I had registered our home address in Kingston. I thought they would reach us before we left town for the year, but no! I emailed the IRFU asking to mail the orders to our address in Dublin, only one made it! The other one was sent to Canada. Quick on his pen, Tim saved the day, using a 'Hail Mary' air mail pass across the Atlantic Ocean.

It was well worth the wait and complications. We were basically on the pitch: Row A, behind the in-goal area, merely ten feet from the dead ball line. The view was great except for the professional photographers kneeling just in front of us.

As for the game itself, it was a lopsided win for Leinster/Ulster 68 to nil. Leinster/Ulster's strategy seemed to be relying on possession and the use of quick passes. Their captain Luke Marshall really stood out as a most valuable player. We got to see several tries in the second half from up close. Alexi especially enjoyed seeing and being part of the wave. We snapped some great pictures that we'll share with you all.

Bye for now!