Page 96 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 96
rick proclaimed Christianity by illeg- who could find the oldest grave. There
ally lighting his fire before the king was a dispute, and nobody won. I
had lit his. After lunch and a browse found one from the 14th century,
in the souvenir shop we moved on to which was a century off the would-be
the Boyne. winners. I bought myself a stick of
This was the site of the Battle of the rock and a souvenir round tower. Then
Boyne, where King William Ill beat we set off for home, tired but happy
James 11 for the crown of England. We and singing merrily.
all laughed at the fact that the English-
man and a Dutchman were fighting Hugh Farmar (Prep. 2)
for the crown of England in Ireland!
After this we moved on to Newgrange.
We had a long wait before we could North County Dublin
get in as we had arrived before opening
time, so I finished off my lunch. After Last summer term our teachers Mrs
paying our entrance fee and being in- Egan, Mrs Crosbie and Miss McCon-
troduced to the Guide, we set off for ville organised a field trip to North
the entrance. The top of the mound County Dublin, taking in Bull Island,
was grassed over, but on the outside it Lusk Museum and Malahide Castle, as
had been covered with stones to keep it part of our Environment Studies
together. After our Guide told us a bit Course.
about the history of the passage grave, When we reached Bull Island, Miss
we walked in. A long dark low passage McConville explained its origin to us.
greeted us and we had to bow our To keep the mouth of the River Liffey
heads. It was smaller than I had ex- and Dublin Harbour free from silt and
pected and I was a bit disappointed at sediment, a wall was built in 1819
first, but when the Guide showed us between Howth Head and the river
the three chambers I got over that. I mouth. This helped to counteract the
thought the roof was quite clever. It longshore drift, a current in the bay
sort of sloped upwards. Outside we ex- which sweeps silt along the shore into
plored the grounds, and had a grass the Liffey's mouth. Because of the wall
fight. When we had finally extracted the harbour was kept quite free, but
the last blade of grass from our backs the sediment began to pile up on the
and mouths, we moved on to Old Mel- north side of the wall. Since 1819 more
lifont Abbey. and more silt and sand has accumu-
This was my favourite part of the lated there and formed into a sand bar
tour. It is the ruins of an old Cistercian and salt marshes. This process is con-
monastery, the first in Ireland. After a tinuing and the marshes are steadily
quick game of chasing we explored the becoming drier. The island is now
ruins and later had a tour of them. about three miles (4.827 km) long and
Then we had a quiz on what we had Y2 mile (804 m) wide. It is still growing.
seen so far, with Mrs Crosbie as The island is now a bird sanctuary.
Chairman. Finally we went to Monas- The salt marches and the food-rich
terboice. tidal mud make it an ideal watering
The first thing we saw was Muirea- post for birds which migrate to Ireland
dach's Cross from the early Christian from the Arctic regions.
period in Ireland. It depicts scenes Our next stop on the trip was Willie
from the Old Testament and was just Monk's Museum in Lusk. Lusk has
one of the three crosses, the round been a settlement area since before the
tower and the two churches that we time of St Patrick. The museum aims
saw. There is also a graveyard in the to commemorate some of this heritage
grounds. We had a competition to see and give an ideal of life in the 19th
94
ally lighting his fire before the king was a dispute, and nobody won. I
had lit his. After lunch and a browse found one from the 14th century,
in the souvenir shop we moved on to which was a century off the would-be
the Boyne. winners. I bought myself a stick of
This was the site of the Battle of the rock and a souvenir round tower. Then
Boyne, where King William Ill beat we set off for home, tired but happy
James 11 for the crown of England. We and singing merrily.
all laughed at the fact that the English-
man and a Dutchman were fighting Hugh Farmar (Prep. 2)
for the crown of England in Ireland!
After this we moved on to Newgrange.
We had a long wait before we could North County Dublin
get in as we had arrived before opening
time, so I finished off my lunch. After Last summer term our teachers Mrs
paying our entrance fee and being in- Egan, Mrs Crosbie and Miss McCon-
troduced to the Guide, we set off for ville organised a field trip to North
the entrance. The top of the mound County Dublin, taking in Bull Island,
was grassed over, but on the outside it Lusk Museum and Malahide Castle, as
had been covered with stones to keep it part of our Environment Studies
together. After our Guide told us a bit Course.
about the history of the passage grave, When we reached Bull Island, Miss
we walked in. A long dark low passage McConville explained its origin to us.
greeted us and we had to bow our To keep the mouth of the River Liffey
heads. It was smaller than I had ex- and Dublin Harbour free from silt and
pected and I was a bit disappointed at sediment, a wall was built in 1819
first, but when the Guide showed us between Howth Head and the river
the three chambers I got over that. I mouth. This helped to counteract the
thought the roof was quite clever. It longshore drift, a current in the bay
sort of sloped upwards. Outside we ex- which sweeps silt along the shore into
plored the grounds, and had a grass the Liffey's mouth. Because of the wall
fight. When we had finally extracted the harbour was kept quite free, but
the last blade of grass from our backs the sediment began to pile up on the
and mouths, we moved on to Old Mel- north side of the wall. Since 1819 more
lifont Abbey. and more silt and sand has accumu-
This was my favourite part of the lated there and formed into a sand bar
tour. It is the ruins of an old Cistercian and salt marshes. This process is con-
monastery, the first in Ireland. After a tinuing and the marshes are steadily
quick game of chasing we explored the becoming drier. The island is now
ruins and later had a tour of them. about three miles (4.827 km) long and
Then we had a quiz on what we had Y2 mile (804 m) wide. It is still growing.
seen so far, with Mrs Crosbie as The island is now a bird sanctuary.
Chairman. Finally we went to Monas- The salt marches and the food-rich
terboice. tidal mud make it an ideal watering
The first thing we saw was Muirea- post for birds which migrate to Ireland
dach's Cross from the early Christian from the Arctic regions.
period in Ireland. It depicts scenes Our next stop on the trip was Willie
from the Old Testament and was just Monk's Museum in Lusk. Lusk has
one of the three crosses, the round been a settlement area since before the
tower and the two churches that we time of St Patrick. The museum aims
saw. There is also a graveyard in the to commemorate some of this heritage
grounds. We had a competition to see and give an ideal of life in the 19th
94
