Tuesday 27 March 2012

Dalgan, County Meath

On my way back to Dublin from Navan yesterday I made an amazing discovery. Taking the old N3 road instead of the new M3 motorway I saw a sign that simply said Dalgan Park and I stopped to investigate.
Dalgan Park is located beside the Hill of Tara, the prehistoric religious and political centre of Ireland and is home to the Columban Missionaries in Ireland. They moved here in 1926 to what was formerly the Dowdstown Estate. Dalgan takes it's name from the first Columban home near Shrule, County Mayo. Dowdstown House within the grounds is a College, and Retreat and Pastoral Centre and offers adult courses and counselling services. Nearby there is an old graveyard and the ruins of a twelfth century Cistercian Church.
Set in 500 acres of parkland and woods, Dalgan Park is a functioning farm with a large herd of cattle and is also a sanctuary for wildlife.
There are six kilometers of graveled walks through woods and beside the rivers Boyne and Skane. In a quiet corner of the park there is another graveyard where Columban missionaries are buried and I thought it was poignant how the graves are laid out in chronological order.
We are having an incredible early Summer and Dalgan Park was busy with many visitors enjoying the walks. Interestingly, I heard many Polish and Latvian voices during my ramble around this beautiful park in rural County Meath.
I will be back...
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