Treasures of the Boyne Valley

The River Boyne flows gently through the counties of Kildare and Meath and borders Offaly and Louth, before flowing into the Irish Sea at Drogheada. Its valley’s fertile soil has ensured that it has been inhabited continuously from the end of the Ice Age. It is one of the most historic regional areas, not just in Ireland, but in all of northwest Europe. Peter Harbison’s book traces the course of the river from source to sea, discussing its history, the landscape, the peoples who have left their imprint on the region since pre-historic times, the houses and monuments, the battle sites, and all the other aspects that make the Boyne Valley such a rich source of interest. The highlight of the book is, of course, the great trio of Stone-Age burial sites at Dowth, Knowth and Newgrange – all at least as old as the Egyptian pyramids, with the last-named being one of the wonders of Europe. But Harbison also deals deftly with other matters – with the Battle of the Boyne (1690), so crucial for later Irish history; with writers like Mary Lavin, Francis Ledwidge and Lord Dunsany who lived in and wrote about the region, as well as with the houses, churches and monastic settlements. The book is richly illustrated with original landscape photographs by Tom Kelly, himself a resident of the valley, and with historic prints and watercolours.