This weekend is Winter Solstice weekend – the days will be getting longer, thankfully!
At sunrise on the solstice, a shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance to Newgrange and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. It’s a spectacular and dramatic event which only lasts for about 17 minutes at dawn on a few days before and after the Winter Solstice. Like last year the OPW will stream the event live at this link, from Newgrange on Sunday the 21st from 8.30am until 9.30am GMT. Last year over 300,00 people watched the event live on the web. Hopefully there’ll be some sun this year.
Entrance, Photo by Ger, Moore Group
Access to the chamber at Newgrange is decided by lottery, however the OPW invite anyone to gather outside the entrance to the mound on each of the mornings from December 18th to December 23rd inclusive and there’s a free concert at 3.00pm on Sunday in the Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre featuring The Tredagh Singers from Drogheda.
Newgrange, Photo by Ger, Moore Group
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