Faculty

Photographs from Dr. Cox's 2004 Sabbatical
in Ireland

During her 2004 sabbatical, Dr. Cox researched the mathematics of ancient Ireland. She took the following photographs while she was in Ireland. Further information about the history and lore surrounding the Hill of Tara, Newgrange, and other ancient sites in Ireland may be found at the excellent website Mythical Ireland.

1. Malahide Castle in the village of Malahide, 9 miles northeast of Dublin.
Malahide Castle was home to the Talbot family from 1185 to 1976
---a span of nearly 800 years.

2. Lord Talbot de Malahide, the last Talbot to own Malahide Castle, 
collected plants from all over the world to create the beautiful
gardens on the castle's demesne.

3. A view from the Hill of Tara, which was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland. The Hill is an
 archeological goldmine, featuring over thirty visible monuments and perhaps as many buried
 monuments detected by modern non-intrusive techniques. The ancient monuments on the
 Hill of Tara include the Stone of Destiny (see below) and the Mound of the Hostages (see
 below). The Hill offers a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside. The undulating earth,
seen in the foreground of the above photograph, is a distinctive feature of the Hill.

4. Another view from the Hill of Tara.

5. The Stone of Destiny on the Hill of Tara. The
 stone, thought to have been placed on the Hill 
thousands of years ago, was the site of 
coronation ceremonies for the kings of Ireland. 
Legend has it that the stone roared when 
touched by a man worthy of the crown. 

6. Foliage near the Hill of Tara.

7. The Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is a passage-tomb
dating to about 2500BC.

8. St. Patrick's Cathedral, near the Hill of Tara, was built in the 1800's.

9. A view near the Hill of Tara.

10. Ireland's most famous monument is Newgrange, a 5200-year-old passage-tomb. Newgrange is 1000
years older than Stonehenge and more than 600 years older than the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. The
 monument is located near the Boyne River about 5 miles west of the town of Drogheda. The white 
quartz front of Newgrange can be seen from the Hill of Tara. The original builders of Newgrange
 included a sophisticated calendrical feature: on the winter solstice, the light of the rising sun enters 
an opening in the roof, penetrates a narrow passage below, and illuminates the floor of the inner
chamber. In 1993, Newgrange was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

11. A "standing stone" at Newgrange.

12. The entrance of Newgrange. The geometrical etchings on the kerbstone are typical of the beautiful
megalithic art found throughout the monument. (The two people are strangers who wandered
into the shot.)

13. Adorned with spirals and triangles, this kerbstone is part of the foundation of Newgrange.

14. A kerbstone featuring a spiral etching...

15. ...and one showing a sinusoidal design.

16. The Boyne River, near Newgrange.

17. A view of from the Boyne River Valley.

18. Another view from the Boyne River Valley.

19. One more vista in the Boyne River Valley.