My Life on the Irish Sea: A Few Memories II | Fy Mywyd ar Fôr Iwerddon: Ambell i Atgof II
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For some 25 years I regularly took students from Bangor University to Ireland. We set off on the Friday afternoon boat from Holyhead and then settled into our lodgings. On Saturday we went south: to the south Dublin tombs, including Brennanstown, then up onto the hills to discuss the geography of the coast and the islands – Lambay and the Neolithic stone axes; Dalkey and the Early Bronze Age Beaker pots, and on one particularly clear day we could see Holyhead Mountain and discuss its Cytiau Gwyddelod ('Irishmen's Huts'). Sometimes we went to Glendalough in Wicklow, one time we climbed Baltinglass Hill, and several times we visited Athgreany Stone Circle.
On the Sunday, it was always the Boyne Valley. Fourknocks is actually the most atmospheric of the Neolithic Boyne Passage tombs, dare I say? Because of the need to replace the entire roof, the opportunity arose to provide a subtle and wonderfully effective lighting system for the classic decorated lintels. Just close the solid door after you and wait for your eyes to adjust. If only Anglesey’s Barclodiad y Gawres had such a good answer to its light problems!
On our way to Newgrange we would visit the great Dowth Enclosure. We used to go inside the huge Dowth Passage tomb as well in the early days, before it was closed to the public. That used to be an exciting visit: a stunning chamber, a suitably awkward souterrain to crawl into, and good decoration in the smaller chamber. And then there was Newgrange where we always received a warm welcome. From Newgrange we went to the Knowth passage tomb and that was always an exciting site because excavation was on-going through many of the years when we were visiting. On many occasions we actually had the company of the excavator, Prof George Eogan, on our Boyne visits!
In some years, we even managed to fit in a visit to Tara. One year – after all the geophysics had been published – we did have a very successful visit, seeing if we could pick up any signs of the lost monuments in the low evening sun. You have to have some experience to play that game!
Monday was our day for the National Museum. This was always a splendid visit because it is closed on Mondays and so we had it to ourselves. When I was last there – this year – there had been some changes on the periphery, but not to the central core – nor to the heap of stones in the ‘Neolithic corner’ which most people probably pass with a brief glance. Not me – because in 1966 I excavated Newgrange Tomb L from which the stones come, including a large decorated slab which even appeared on an Irish stamp at the time!
I was in Ireland that day to go up to Knowth to celebrate the publication of the final volume (the 7th) of the series recording the excavations there. It was a great day, a great party, and perhaps it rounded off my active involvement with the archaeology of Ireland and especially its great stone tombs. But I’m sure I will cross that sea again.
Am tua 25 mlynedd, arferwn fynd â myfyrwyr o Brifysgol Bangor i Iwerddon yn rheolaidd. Arferem adael ar y cwch brynhawn ddydd Gwener o Gaergybi, ac yna, setlo yn ein llety. Ar y dydd Sadwrn, byddem yn teithio i gyfeiriad y de: i feddrodau De Dulyn, gan gynnwys Brennanstown, yna i fyny i'r bryniau i drafod daearyddiaeth yr arfordir a'r ynysoedd – Lambay a bwyeill cerrig neolithig; Dalkey a'r potiau Bicer Oes Efydd Cynnar, ac ar un diwrnod arbennig o glir, gallem weld Mynydd Caergybi a thrafod ei Gytiau Gwyddelod. Weithiau, byddem yn mynd i Glendalough yn Wicklow, ac unwaith, dringom Allt Baltinglass, ac ymwelom â Chylch Cerrig Athgreany sawl gwaith.
Ar y dydd Sul, Dyffryn Boyne oedd y cyrchfan bob tro. Mentraf ddweud mai Fourknocks yw'r beddrod mwyaf llawn awyrgylch o blith Beddau Cyntedd Neolithig Boyne. Oherwydd yr angen i ddisodli'r to cyfan, bu cyfle i ddarparu system oleuadau gynnil ond hynod effeithiol ar gyfer y capanau drysau addurnedig clasurol. Caewch y drws solet y tu ôl i chi ac arhoswch i'ch llygaid gyfarwyddo. Trueni na fyddai gan Farclodiad y Gawres ar Ynys Môn ateb cystal i'w phroblemau golau!
Ar ein ffordd i Newgrange, arferem ymweld â Chaeadle mawr Dowth. Arferem fynd mewn i Fedd Cyntedd anferth Dowth hefyd yn ystod y dyddiau cynnar, cyn iddo gael ei gau i'r cyhoedd. Arferai hwnnw fod yn ymweliad cyffrous: siambr drawiadol, siambr danddaearol priodol o letchwith i gropian i mewn iddi, ac addurniadau da yn y siambr leiaf. Ac yna roedd Newgrange lle yr arferem gael croeso cynnes bob tro. O Newgrange, arferem fynd ymlaen i fedd cyntedd Knowth ac roedd hwnnw wastad yn safle cyffrous gan bod gwaith cloddio yn mynd rhagddo yn ystod sawl blwyddyn pan ymwelom â'r lle. Sawl gwaith, cawsom y cyfle i fwynhau cwmni y cloddiwr, Athro George Eogan, yn ystod ein hymweliadau â Boyne!
Ambell i flwyddyn, llwyddom i ymweld â Tara hefyd. Un flwyddyn – ar ôl y cyhoeddwyd yr holl geoffiseg – cawsom ymweliad llwyddiannus iawn, gan weld a fyddai modd i ni weld unrhyw arwyddion o'r henebion coll yn yr heulwen isel ar ddiwedd y dydd. Rhaid bod gennych chi ychydig brofiad i chwarae'r gêm honno!
Dydd Llun oedd ein diwrnod i ymweld â'r Amgueddfa Genedlaethol. Roedd hwn wastad yn ymweliad rhagorol gan ei fod ar gau ar ddydd Llun, felly dim ond ni oedd yno. Pan oeddwn yno y tro diwethaf – eleni – roedd rhai newidiadau wedi cael eu gwneud ar y cyrion, ond nid i'r craidd canolog – nac i'r pentwr o gerrig yn y 'gornel Neolithig' na fydd y rhan fwyaf o bobl yn rhoi fawr iawn o sylw iddynt wrth gerdded heibio iddynt yn ôl pob tebyg. Nid fi – oherwydd ym 1966, cloddiais Feddrod L Newgrange o ble y daw y cerrig, gan gynnwys slab addurnedig mawr a ymddangosodd ar stamp yn Iwerddon ar y pryd!
Roeddwn yn Iwerddon y diwrnod hwnnw er mwyn mynd i fyny i Knowth i ddathlu cyhoeddiad cyfrol olaf (7fed) y gyfres a oedd yn cofnodi'r cloddiadau yno. Bu'n ddiwrnod gwych, yn barti gwych, ac efallai ei fod wedi bod yn benllanw fy nghyswllt gydag archeoleg Iwerddon, a'i beddrodau cerrig yn arbennig. Ond rydw i'n siŵr y byddaf yn croesi'r môr hwn eto.