A Swedish academic says he has found vital clues in Ireland to prove that the country is actually the lost kingdom of Atlantis.
Dr Ulf Erlingsson, whose radical theories have caused a storm of debate, is on a three-day tour here to prove Ireland contains remnants of the mythical land described by Greek philosopher Plato in 370 BC.
Dr Erlingsson, 44, today visited Newgrange and Knowth megalithic passage tombs in Co Meath which he believes are linked to the ancient temples of Poseidon and the Ancestors in Atlantis. He also believes the Atlantis capital can be connected with Tara in Co Meath - the legendary seat of the high kings of Ireland.
He said: "Atlantis had a central plain fringed by mountains which is exactly what I saw at Newgrange today.
"And Plato said that 10 kings met in the Atlantis capital every five years, which would equate with Tara's historical connection with the high kings."
Dr Erlingsson also believes that the geography of Atlantis matches Ireland perfectly as it is 300 miles long, 200 miles wide, and broadest over the middle. The geologist's theories are contained in his book Atlantis from a Geographer's Perspective: Mapping the Fairy Land, to be published next month.
Irish experts have described Dr Erlingsson's views as "bizarre" and say the actual existence of Atlantis has never been scientifically proven. The exact location of the lost kingdom, which sank after a massive flood-wave 12,000 years ago, has perplexed explorers and scientists for generations. Some theories claim it is in the mid-Atlantic Ocean or under the North Sea.
PA