Marvel at winter solstice sunrise in Newgrange

Daily Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 12-15-07 | Sophie Campbell

[Renfield]

A brief moment of wonder awaits a few lucky people who see the winter solstice sunrise in Newgrange, Co Meath, Ireland, reports Sophie Campbell.

If you put your head on the floor of the burial chamber at Newgrange, Ireland's most famous passage tomb, rest your cheek on the soft grit and look back down the slightly wonky passage of upright stone slabs, you can see a wigwam of light at the end. This is the entrance, which faces south-east over the wide, shallow valley of the River Boyne and a ridge called Red Mountain.

If you are lucky enough to be one of the 50 people, plus partners, whose names were pulled out of a hat (or rather, a scale model of Newgrange) by local children in September, you will be in the tomb one morning next week, between Tuesday and Sunday, waiting nervously for the winter solstice sunrise......

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[1010RD]

I read it as New Garage.

[EveningStar]

That works too. :)

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

We visited Newgrange in the 1990’s. Had never heard of it, but we were staying at a B&B close to there and they told us about it. We were the only people taking the tour that morning (it was a rainy day in October) and being there in the solitude sent chills down my back. It just felt so ancient. If you can go in the off-season when it’s not overrun with tourists, it’s well worth the visit!