title Blackrock North and Newgrange, County Louth, Ireland - 16th February 2023 intro We're off to Ireland for a few days, with an initial stop over at Jamie and Harryana's in Blackrock North in County Louth. Whilst there, we visit the Newgrange passage tomb in the Boyne Valley, a few miles west of Drogheda. It dates from around 3200 BCE, which makes it slightly older the Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, although the buses which haul us to and from the visitors' centre aren't that far off either. After that, we head down the M1 to stay at Da Gorls' house in Monkstown, with a night out for dinner at Sushida restaurant in Dun Laoghaire, which was formerly Mao's, one of Evelyn and Louise's previous favourite spots. After the boys are taken home, Nosher and Isobel score an hour or so in McKenna's bar, which includes a visit from Jen Mac. imgp1062 We're back in the Blue long-stay car park imgp1063 Ryanair has a lot of planes stacked at Stansted imgp1065 The ramp up from the station and car parks imgp1069 Harry eats sushi in the Stansted waiting pens imgp1070 Funky lights at Itsu on the way to the gates imgp1071 Fred surveys a WHSmith near our gate imgp1073 Our flying bus awaits imgp1075 Ryanair's new loading scheme involves more queueing imgp1080 The queue for the plane imgp1082 There are queues everywhere imgp1087 Ryanair's new "queue on the tarmac" system in action imgp1092 An Emirates 777 heavy comes in to land imgp1096 Harry's set up for a tablet session imgp1101 The fire-training aircraft mockup imgp1102 Harrods' private plane hire hangars imgp1105 A new housing estate gets slapped up somewhere imgp1113 Harry's got a good look of ennui going on imgp1124 The M1 motorway outside Dublin airport imgp1131 Fred walks down the rear aircraft ramp imgp1132 Isobel and Harry on the apron at Dublin airport imgp1134 Gate 108R at Dublin imgp1138 Fred voluntarily hauls both the cases off imgp1142 The somewhat-brutalist concrete of Terminal 1 imgp1144 Harry and Fred do a bit of play fighting imgp1145 We wait in the Hertz/Dollar car-hire office imgp1146 Isobel's in SuperValu at Dundalk imgp1153 Jamie takes a photo at dinner imgp1156 We have lasagna and pizza for dinner imgp1172 There's a cool music shop behind Rocksalt café imgp1174 Harry and Fred in Rocksalt, Blackrock imgp1182 Fred shows off something on his phone imgp1183 Harry tries the dum stool in the music shop imgp1186 Haryanna and Isobel chat on the beach imgp1190 Fred stumps around on the beach imgp1192 Fred on the mudflats of Blackrock north imgp1196 On the seafront at Blackrock imgp1198 Sun on wet sand ripples imgp1201 Fred roams around imgp1202 Annalua and Harry on the beach imgp1204 We head into Newgrange visitors' centre imgp1206 Isobel queues up for the tickets imgp1207 A distant view of Newgrange tumulus imgp1208 Harry in the visitor centre imgp1211 Heading down to the gift shop imgp1214 The River Boyne imgp1215 The bus drivers stop for a quick chat imgp1216 Isobel and Harry wait for the tour guide imgp1217 Our bus awaits imgp1218 The entrance to the Newgrange passage tomb imgp1227 The reconstructed front face imgp1228 Another curious building imgp1230 Isobel surveys some neolithic art imgp1232 Harry gets in touch with the ancestors imgp1235 Fred, Isobel and Harry on a hill imgp1240 Fred and Harry make their own circles imgp1244 Newgrange passage tomb - older than Stonehenge imgp1246 Our bus is nearly as old as the tomb imgp1252 Fred and Harry play Pooh Sticks on the Boyne imgp1254 Harry tests a hat out in the gift shop imgp1255 Fred has a go with a hat imgp1257 Oliver Plunkett Avenue in Monkstown imgp1259 We wait at the bus stop on Monkstown Farm imgp1266 A selfie from the reflection in the bus window imgp1270 Harry gurns in Sushida restaurant imgp1271 Sushida in Dun Laoghaire imgp1273 Isobel pours a bit of sake imgp1274 We stop for a beer at McKenna's on Wellington Street imgp1275 It's time for a Jameson and Red lemonade imgp1279 A cool mural on Wellington Street imgp1280 Isobel roams around on George's Street