The historic ruins of Monasterboice are of an early Christian settlement in County Louth north of Drogheda. It was founded in the late 6th century by St. Buite who is reputed to have worked many cures and to have come into contact with St Patrick. After his death in AD 521 his monks continued his work and in the 9th and 10th centuries Monasterboice was an important ecclesiastical foundation renowned as a centre of learning. Unfortunately the monastery was plundered soon afterwards and its books and numerous treasures were burned leaving little factual records for posterity.
The site houses two churches built in the 14th century or later and an earlier round tower, but it is most famous for its 10th century high crosses.
The round tower is about 35-metres tall, and is in very good condition, although it is not possible to go inside. It was built as a refuge for the monks against the Vikings; after climbing up to the high doorway, the monks pulled up the ladder behind them, although the passage of time has laid down layers of earth so now the doorway is almost at ground level. The Vikings were eventually defeated by the High King Donal in AD 989. The monastery was burned in 1079.
The 5.5-metre Muiredach's High Cross is regarded as the finest high cross in the whole of Ireland. It is named after an abbot, Muiredach mac Domhnaill, who died in 923 and features biblical carvings of both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The North and West crosses are also fine examples of this kind of structure, but these have suffered much more from the effects of the weather.
1-Go to the above coordinates and obtain the answer to the following question. Q- What is the number of this national monument? Call the answer AB
2- Go to the coordinates N53.46.6B0 W006.25.0BA to obtain the cache.
Due to tree cover the final co-ordinates may require some flexibility.
This cache has been adopted from SnoopyandMickey
The Windsockers
www.geocachingireland.ie