Winter Solstice in Ireland ~ Newgrange

Winter Solstice in Ireland ~ Newgrange
The Shortest Day ~ The Darkest Midnight
In Newgrange, County Louth, there is an ancient tomb with stones covered with ancient Celtic artwork. Once a year, at the Winter Solstice, the tomb fills with light and the beautiful spirals are illuminated. Newgrange predates both Stonehenge and the ancient Pyramids of Egypt.
It is a clear signal that the ancient peoples of Ireland understood the movement of the sun at the Winter Solstice and celebrated this Shortest Day; the Darkest Midnight. Here are thirty-three facts about this fascinating monument. Many Celtic jewelry designs are inspired by the spirals at Newgrange.
Lots of fun factoids here:
- 1,000 years older than Stonehenge (see Stonehenge slideshow below)
- Discovered in 1969 by laborers searching for building stones
- Charles Campbell was the landowner at the time
- On Campbell's instructions, stones were sought and the entrance discovered
- The mound is in the shape of a kidney
- Constructed around 3200BC (Stone Age)
- 600 years older than the Giza Pyramids in Egypt
- Covers an area of approximately one acre
- Surrounded by 97 kerb-stones
- Megalithic art on many of the kerb-stones
- Arwork includes spirals, lozenges, zigzags, and other symbols
- These designs are similar to designs found in Brittany (France), at Gavrinis
- Entrance stone has the most famous designs; triple spiral
- Long passage leads to a cruciform chamber with a corbelled roof
- Historians building time estimate (passage tomb): 300 workers 20 years +
- 200,000 + visitors to Newgrange each year
- Most visited archaeological monument in Ireland
- One of the finest European passage-tombs
- Located in the Boyne Valley in a 3 square mile area
- Within this 3 mile area, there are 30 prehistoric monuments
- The stone circle was probably built about 1000 years later (Beaker period).
- Over the entrance passageway is the 'roof box' (allows the light in)
- The roof box aligns perfectly with the sunrise on the winter solstice
- At sunset on the winter solstice, the center of the tomb floods with light
- The illumination lasts about 20 minutes
- You can see the spirals for those 20 minutes....
- The cruciform chamber inside the mound measures 6.5 x 6.2m (21ft 6in x 17ft)
- The corbelled roof stretches 6m (20ft) above the floor
- Considered to have have been the burial place of the Kings of Tara
- Home of King Dagda, leader of the Tuatha De Danann