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WHAT IS YOUR earliest memory? Mine is my third birthday party. I remember getting a xylophone – it was bright, colourful and made a lot of noise. I sat beside the Christmas tree playing with this great new toy, my back to all my little party guests.
If you think back to your earliest memory you might come up with something similar to mine (well, maybe minus the xylophone, the noise and the antisocial behaviour…) but you might find your earliest memories start about the same age. Is this when we first start to form memories? Do we need to reach a sufficient level of cognitive and language skills to do so? Apparently not…
Studies have shown that we do form memories from a much younger age, however these memories can be lost as we age, so, effectively our earliest memory milestone keeps moving. Children as young as two or three may give valid events as their earliest memories but they may not be able to recall these memories if asked again a few years later. So when do our set of early memories settle down to what we carry into adulthood? Usually by the age of ten.
Why do most of us have our earliest memory from an event around the age of three…
Studies are ongoing with regard to what factors may influence our earliest memories but some interesting facts have emerged such as suggestions that females tend to have earlier memories than males and that there does not seem to be any bias towards positive or negative memories. Also, we are as likely to report our earliest memory being of a mundane nature (like me and my xylophone) as of a significant event.
Some research that I found particularly interesting was the influence of culture on the age of earliest memory. In cultures that promote discussion with children from a young age about themselves and their feelings and thought, earlier memories are more likely to be reported. This is particularly true for cultures that put a strong emphasis on the past (such as New Zealand Maori). However, Asian cultures tend to put less influence on a child as an individual and more on a group or national mentality, and these cultures tended to report an older age for first memories.
What about you – what’s your earliest memory? Let us know in the comments below.
Dr Naomi Lavelle is a mum to three junior scientists who are always asking “how”, “why” and “what if”. She blogs at Science Wows where she aims to answer all their questions, one post at a time. She can also be found on Facebook and as @sciencewows on Twitter.
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The magical wonder land of ballymun
Alternatively, the Greens and FF built a beautiful motorway past the magic of Newgrange. Great foresight there.
The ancient tourist trap that is Temple Bar
Come see how the natives live and the wonders @ mystical mosney.
@ Andrew, what motorway passes newgrange???
Carlingford and the Cooley-
The Boyne Valley and Drogheda is a great place to visit, loads of history from the earliest times up to the recent past. Some of our favourite places are the Millmount tower/museum in Drogheda and Beaulieu House near Termonfeckin.
Well firstly your a tourist and you are presented with 2 different coasts to travel. The more spectacular west and the more historical and very beautiful East. It depends on who you are as a person but flying into Dublin certainly gives the east an edge
Rathangan…where the fleas ate the missioners….
The magic road up the comeragh mountains, the fairy tree and mahon falls.
Must say its a good idea for a holiday for myself. We should explore more of our landscape as Irish people than we do
Forgot to include Mount Mellary(even if your non-religous), Lismore Castle, Dromona Drive, Nire Valley, Copper Coast, The Gaeltacht, Southeast Coastal drive from Youghal to Passage East and you can hop the ferry over to Ballyhack and head for Hook Head.
They should highlight the various festivals on also on a single calendar so everyone knows where to check on any given wkend and planned holiday date scheduler- loads of comedy, music eg jazz, story-telling, food and even match-making festivals that are totally unique in Ireland – if I were a tourist I’d love to see this side
Never understood why they don’t market the mines in Avoca better.
In Carlow….Ducketts grove, Altamount gardens, brownshill Dolmen and Mount Leinster which has a car park with a fantastic view and a road to the peak that has to be walked.
Don’t forget the tallest tree in Ireland at Oak Park! !!!!!
Where is this ?
Glasnevin cemetery, Some great history there…. Saying that you just can’t beat the west.
West is best!
Loughcrew tombs at Slieve na Calliagh in Meath. Fabulous views at the top of a steep hill climb on a clear day.
Plenty of halting sites worth a look .
Kells Co Meath , home of the book and the High crosses , St Colmcilles house the lighthouse in the countryside as well as been only 35 minutes from M50
The book is named after the monastery because it was found near-by. It was smuggled to Ireland from the island of Iona, even if they were Irish monks, that’s in Scotland.
Not what trinity collage say
The Book of Kells was found near Kells when it was stolen from the monastery in Kells in 1006 for it’s ornamental cover.
It was found after 3 months in a field across from the church on the monastic site where it was kept.
Most credible experts would agree that the Book was completed in Kells, if not written there in its entirety, because of the wealth of the Monastery of Kells, the skills and knowledge taught there, and the reflection in the craftwork in the High Crosses. Also that Columcille’s House itself is drawn into one of the carpet pages in the Book of Kells.
Oisin’s grave, somewhere in county Antrim. Worth going to simply for the car journey. Imagine a country lane the exact width of a family car up a long insanely steep hill that ends at an old gate. No way to turn the car, only thing to do is take hand brake off and roll all the way back down without trashing the car. It’s an experience. Oh and Oisin’s grave, it’s a metal plaque on a boulder in the field at the top, cows, poo and all.
Ah yeah, tis been upgraded to a Class II relic. They’ll be sending a few bishops over, to conduct a ceremony.
The boat to France
Mahon Falls and Bunmahon in Waterford. Only about 20 mins apart one’s a lovely handy mountain walk and the others a nice quiet beach. Not to mention Bunmahon is bang in the middle of the Tramore Dungarvan road which was recently voted one of the most scenic drives in Ireland.
Jumping church in Ardee Co Louth
Mullaghmeen forest
Military road, Luggala Estate and the Glenmacnass waterfall! As well as Seaham passage tomb and the Solomon near stepaside
Leo Burdocks….1 & 1..plenty of salt and vinegar
The Rock of Dunamase!! Didn’t even know it existed until I drove past it on the way to the Ploughing last year, went up for a look, what an amazing castle with a stunning view over much of the “Ancient East”
Dalkey Island is a great spot for a picnic .
St Mullins in south county Carlow is absolutely beautiful. Also, just a few miles above it, Clashganny weir, near Borris is an amazing spot. Beautiful scenery and this part of the Barrow valley looks fantastic at any time of year. It’s well worth a visit.
They could get their photo taken by the Newlands Cross flyover.
What about Laois or Laoighis as known in olden days, where Fionn Mc Cumhaill is from! Where the oldest Bog body on record was Found! The oldest mountain range and once the highest in Europe (slieve Blooms)!! Where the Picnic and the ploughing meet!!! And the first bullets of the 1916 rising were shot!!! We have it all here in the land of the O Mores!!
Most underrated county on the island!
glenmalure, beautiful place
Toyally beautiful , the hotel , the views – firstspot i brought my SA family too !!! They loved it
Love it up there, one of my favourite places in Wicklow
Just dont leave your valuables in the car!!!
Comeragh Mountains and Glendalough
If there was something worth seeing it would have been seen. Instead rephrase the question to how can we get more money from tourists. Develop the beaches across the South east to at least a minimum standard with toilets and facilities.
Woodstock arboretum and gardens , Kilkenny.
and sure on the way down, pop to Kilfane House. great spot!
https://www.facebook.com/VisitKells
Visitingkells.ie
Fore Abbey and Lough Crew, about 10 km apart near Oldcastle, Meath. Well worth a visit, Fore even had 7 mysterious wonders to…er wonder at…
Lough crew is a tomb by the way, it’s the hipster New Grange, it’son too of a hill, don’t know where the actual Lough is.
There is also Loughcrew gardens, where there is a walk around Creeve Lough. I think I read somewhere that’s possibly where the Loughcrew name was derived from.
Avoid Dublin at all costs.
Unless you like broadband.
There’s always one….
Methodone clinics?
Guagan Barra. Best kept secret in the country.
sounds marvellous. but tell me, where might you find that in Ireland’s Ancient East??
Fourknocks megalithic tomb
Kells Co Meath
Home of the book of kells, the high crosses and much much more .
Only 35 minutes from the M50
Russborough house and lakeside walk near Blessington. Rhododendron garden will be in bloom in May. Spectacular.
The towers in Lismore, Co Waterford.
Kells is the ancestral home of The Book of Kells with Celtic Crosses of immense beauty and the ancient monastic site to view. A must to visit this beautiful unspoilt town. Also home of the World famous international Hay Book Festival.
Harcourt Diner on a Friday
Top of Ballymartin in North Kilkenny.
My god, the cynics are out tonight ! How about Arklow gaol, Russborogh Hse, Hook and Loftus, The Heritage Park, The Craft Brewerys, Sally Gap, thats just in one long and busy weekend. I think it’s great news and I’m delighted !
Definitely Loughcrew. Magical place and not as messed up as newgrange
I didn’t realise the East was so old, what a trump card to pull….
The Ancient East
yeah so were pretty like old and stuff so eh yeah come visit, yeah theres like loads like ancient shit around the place, well not really actually because its like in the past but if you just imagine cartoons on fields its pretty awesome…
Peter get out more, there are many historic sites worth visiting in the east, as I’m sure there are right around the country
Roche castle outside Dundalk, cuchullains castle in Dundalk, the walkway between Omeath and Carlingford between the beautiful Lough and Cooley mountains on one side and mountains of mournes on the other. Car journey to top of annavernagh mountain(up to the mast) flagstaff view point looking down carlingford Lough……..too many to mention.
Skerries city – Skerries has been named one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. CITIES
http://jrnl.ie/2038588
You photographed my wedding. Nice arse on you.
Trim / Hill of Tara / Newgrange / Loughcrew / Knowth & Dowth and that’s just The Boyne Valley :)
Girley bog outside kells co Meath you can’t beat it lots of trails through the natural bog wildlife habitats and forest a beautiful place !
And Causey Farm!
The Hill of Tara on a clear summers day..pure pallation :)
Kells meets all four themes of Ireland’s Ancient East:
1. Ancient Ireland (High King, Cormac mac Airt, the LawGiver, lived in Kells)
2. Early Christian Ireland (the Book of Kells was completed and housed here for over 850 years in the monastery created by Colmcille, patron saint of Ireland, in the 6th century. Kells is now on the Tentative List for consideration as a World Heritage Site)
3. Medieval Ireland (Hugh de Lacy, Ireland’s biggest Norman Lord, lived in Kells)
4. Anglo Ireland (important estates such as Headfort House, on the World Monument List)
Hey you two…would yez get up off the wet grass or ye’ll catch yere death!
Glenasmole Glacial Valley and Bohernabreena reservoir in the Dublin Mountains, just a 5 minute drive from Tallaght The best kept secrets in Dublin.
St James’ Abbey in Castledermot & The Rock of Dunamase in Laois
New Ross, Co. Wexford, 13th Century Medieval Church, medieval town walls, Norman history told in the art and craft of the 15 panels of The Ros Tapestry, the Dunbrody Famine Ship, cruising restaurant on the Barrow, Kennedy Homestead, JFK Arboretum, etc etc etc
The oldest bridge in Ireland, King John’s bridge, in Lucan Co. Dublin and down to Lucan village to view the weir over the river Liffey.
The Curragh of Kildare with its unique landscape, its many pre Christian sites , strong connections with St Brigid and its equine and military history …. Overlooked by the ancient Royal Site of Dun Ailinne – the most important place in Leinster around 1 A.D. – before Dublin was even thought of. The nearby monastic trail taking in Kildare, Old Kilcullen, Moone (High Cross) and Castledermot.
Rathkeale
South Bull wall and the lighthouse, provided the fix the stink from the shitworks and stop the Poolbeg incinerator
High Crosses in Moone and Castledermot, The Ring of the Rath outside Tullow, amazing rath with many concentric earthworks and in alignment with other hill forts, Hook lighthouse and Loftus Hall, Vinegar Hill and 1798 centre, Old Leighlin in Co. Carlow with the Cathedral, holy well and rag bush, where a synod was held to agree the way Easter date is calculated for all of Europe was decided, Duckett’s Grove is well worth a good look too.
Durrow, co laois for the scarecrow festival in the August bank holiday. The electric picnic in September and the ploughing championships. Slieve bloom walks are fabulous. The annual Steam rally in stradbally. Castle durrow with there beautiful gardens and Unique dining experiences all over Laois.
Mullaghmeen forest on the shores of Lough Sheeelin in Co Westmeath – magical.
The Slieve Blooms – gorgeous walking in Laois and Offaly and finally the Ow Valley north of Aughrim in South West Wicklow – all hidden treasures and absolutely some of the best and off the beaten track places on our beautiful island.
Knockroe Passage Tomb, Saint Canice’s Cathedral and adjoining round tower and as you are there the Black Abbey for its stain glass windows
All in Killenny…
Loughcrew & Fourknocks Passage tombs, Gaulstown Portal Tomb, Athgreany Stone Circle, Rock of Dunamaise
Could give another 20 or 30 easily….
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