Idea #291 – Visit the Newgrange megalith
The megalithic site of Newgrange is one of the most famous of Ireland. It is situated in the County of Meath, in the North of Dublin. It is a part of a complete group of prehistoric sites, called Br ú na Bóinne. The tumulus was set up towards 3200 BC, a millennium before Stonehenge in England. It was restored between 1962 and 1975. The site consists of an impressive circular tumulus, of 85 meters in diameter, in the center of which are three alcoves, around a death chamber. The roof of the room is bent in dome, reached by a very long covered corridor. The facing of the outside wall of the tumulus is in white limestone, with inlays of pebbles. The wall is based on monoliths, on which it is possible to observe drawings in spiral and some triskell. Every year, according to the observation of sir Norman Lockyer in 1909, a ray of sun penetrates directly into the central chamber the day of the winter solstice, on December 21st, at 9:17 am, during more or less 17 minutes . The precision in the orientation of the building is spectacular. During the 1960s, Alexander Thom made in-depth researches on these megaliths and published a book : Megalithic sites in Britain. He explains it his theory according to which, supporting statistics, many monuments in Great Britain and of Ireland were designed to be used as timetables. Let’s go visiting !
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Newgrange, Donore, County Meath, Ireland
View Larger Map