Newgrange Under The Stars by Ken Topham

Double recognition for boyne valley

There was a lot to celebrate this week in Boyne Valley Tourism as The Boyne Valley pipped the Ring of Kerry to be named the ‘Top Place to Visit in Ireland’ by Irishcentral.com, the largest website in North America, and National Geographic named Knowth as number one in their top 10 historic sites to visit in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

They describe Knowth’s 5,000 years of history that is revealed through colossal passage tombs, the beehive huts of early monasteries and describe it as a place of pilgrimage, and inspiration. And the good news continued as Sky Sports profiled the Boyne Valley Links Courses with Matt Cooper while photographs taken in the Boyne Valley by Meath men Stephen Keavney and Denis O’Donovan of Loughcrew Passage Tomb and Sheep Gate, Co. Meath were selected from over 2,000 entries in Ireland to represent Ireland at the world’s biggest photography competition, Wiki Loves Monuments.

Michele Whelan, Tourism Officer Boyne Valley said: “We are delighted that the Boyne Valley has been recognised as the top place to visit in Ireland by Irish Central.com who has compiled a list of ten destinations in Ireland that are ranked as the best destinations to visit. The Boyne Valley has surpassed well known tourist destinations and sites such as the Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, the Giant’s Causeway, Aran Islands, Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, the Burren, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Croke Park. The article published in Irish Central.com describes the spectacular Winter Solstice and goes on to say that Newgrange contains some of the most important historic sites and monuments in Ireland. Irishcentral.com is the largest Irish site in North American with 2 million unique visitors monthly and 120,000 facebook fans. I have no doubt but that it will increase the number of tourists from North American to the Boyne Valley”.