On a sunny Saturday afternoon in June 47 members travelled by coach and a further five by car on an Outing to the Boyne Valley
After collecting members in Belfast, Lisburn, Portadown and Armagh we proceeded south of Castleblayney to the An Eaglais Visitor Centre in a former Presbyterian Church where we stopped for coffee and scones. A number of members enjoyed viewing the local railway artefacts in the Monaghan County Museum housed on the balcony.
From there we progressed to Collon Parish Church for a Service of Holy Communion. Dr Evans told us that this church will always be associated with the Foster family and its most celebrated member John Foster, the Speaker of the Irish Parliament, often referred to as Grattan’s Parliament. John Foster, later Lord Oriel, in cooperation with Dr Beauford, the then Rector, built the present church as a miniature reproduction of the Chapel in King’s College, Cambridge. The first Service in the new church was held on 17 September 1815. On entering the church one is immediately struck by the ceiling, beautifully groined, the work having been carried out by William Edgeworth, brother of Maria Edgeworth, the famous Anglo-Irish writer. The Service of Holy Communion was celebrated by the Revd Joyce Moore assisted by the Rector, Revd Michael Graham
.
The Passage Tombs at New Grange. were constructed 5000 years ago, and are therefore older than the Pyramids in Egypt. After having lunch we had time to walk around the exhibition before viewing a film explaining the position of the sun at different times of the day and year. we then progressed into a mock-up of the passage where a demonstration was given of how the light enters the tomb through a narrow slot above the entrance.
Our coach then brought us to Fitzpatrick's near Ballymascanlon for our evening meal before returning to Belfast.
