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NewgrangePassage Grave
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22 posts
The Great Circle Stone Circle |
2 posts
Newgrange Cursus Cursus |
10 posts
Newgrange K & L Passage Grave |
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6 posts
Newgrange Standing Stone C Standing Stone / Menhir |
3 posts
Newgrange Tumulus A Passage Grave |
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Newgrange Tumulus B Passage Grave |
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Hedgerow Stone Standing Stones |
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Genetics study shines light on early periods of Ireland's human historyA survey of ancient Irish genomes has found evidence that the parents of an adult male buried in the heart of the Newgrange passage tomb were first-degree relatives. The research of the male's genome suggests that he was among a ruling social elite which is similar to the inbred Inca god-kings and Egyptian pharaohs... continues... |
Posted by ryaner17th June 2020ce |
New tomb and passage found at NewgrangeARCHAEOLOGISTS who discovered a new passage tomb near Newgrange want it declared a national monument. Using light detection and ranging imaging known as LiDar, an underground passageway and several other previously undetected features have been discovered near the river Boyne, Co Meath, on private land south-west of Newgrange... continues... |
Posted by moss11th September 2013ce |
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Search for 2nd Passage at Newgrange Newgrange may have a second passage, and it too could be aligned with a solstice event. Check out link below for more info: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/search-on-for-a-second-passage-in-newgrange-2908492.html |
Posted by mascot19th October 2011ce Edited 19th October 2011ce |
Slane Bypass may risk Boyne status, says expertCONSTRUCTION OF the proposed Slane bypass in Co Meath could have implications for the world heritage status of Brú na Bóinne, the site that is home to the megalithic tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, a planning hearing was told yesterday... continues... |
Posted by moss 22nd February 2011ce |
Ireland's Newgrange: Countdown to winter's magic momentOn the morning of 21 December, a select group of people made their way through a dark, narrow passage and gathered in a small cross-shaped chamber at Newgrange in Co Meath, Irish Republic, to celebrate the winter solstice... continues... |
Posted by goffik21st December 2010ce |
Slane By-pass shelved.It's painful to watch Ireland's troubles; their future looked so bright when they joined the EU; now the N2 Slane By-pass has been shelved as part of the 4-year cost cutting plan. As reported in the Irish Independent: " ... there will be no major schemes starting in 2012 or 2013... continues... |
Posted by tjj27th November 2010ce |
Public consultation on bypass threat to Bend of the Boyne World Heritage Sites reopenedNew round of public consultations ordered for proposed Slane bypass http://www.savenewgrange... continues... |
Posted by TaraWatch 21st September 2010ce Edited 21st September 2010ce |
Motorway 'may cost ancient site World Heritage status'The battle begins..... The ancient Bru na Boinne site around Newgrange may lose its World Heritage status if the proposed M2 motorway goes ahead, it was claimed today... continues... |
Posted by moss 23rd January 2010ce |
Slane bypass to be 500m from NewgrangeThe National Roads Authority has given details of plans for the new Slane bypass, which would be built 500m from the World Heritage Site at Newgrange. While the plan has been welcomed locally, it is expected that there will be controversy... continues... |
Posted by moss 21st January 2010ce |
Autumn Lecture Series at Brú na Boinne Visitor CentreWednesdays in Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre September 3rd 7.30pm A Room with a View: The Earlier Prehistoric Landscape of Brú na Bóinne by Dr Conor Brady Dundalk Institute of Technology September 17th 7... continues... |
Posted by CianMcLiam27th August 2008ce |
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Robert Hensey Lectures, June 11th Two Short Lectures by Robert Hensey NUI Galway When Space and Time Collided: A Ritualistic Perspective on the Beginnings of Astronomical Alignment in Passage Tomb Tradition Between Salmon and Ceremony: Seasonal Ritual in the Boyne Valley Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre Wednesday June 11th 2008 7.00pm Free of Charge |
Posted by CianMcLiam 28th April 2008ce |
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Webcam for Winter Solstice Newgrange http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/Solstice2007/ |
Posted by bawn7920th December 2007ce Edited 20th December 2007ce |
Brú na Boinne Winter Solstice 40th Anniversary Lectures 2007The Office of Public Works Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Winter Solstice at Newgrange ____________________ Lectures at Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre at 8pm Wednesday November 7th 2007 What the Builder Saw: The Prehistoric Astronomy of Newgrange ... continues... |
Posted by CianMcLiam 31st October 2007ce |
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24,000 apply for 50 places to see Newgrange solstice Nearly 24,000 people applied for the Winter Solstice draw in the hope of being in Newgrange on the shortest day of the year. However, just 50 names were selected at the "Winter Solstice Lottery" at the Brú na Bóinne Visitors' Centre last Friday. Click here for more |
Posted by mythicalireland 4th October 2004ce Edited 11th October 2004ce |
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Protest at Boyne Battle Site From BBCi, 22 Dec 2003 A cross-border heritage group has been protesting against plans to build a rubbish incinerator near the site of Newgrange and the Battle of the Boyne in County Louth. The demonstrators called on the Irish Government to stop what they described as "cultural vandalism". Whole story here |
Posted by Jane22nd December 2003ce Edited 22nd December 2003ce |
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31/03/2023 - Newgrange. Last stop of a lovely day out looking at stones and the main reason we had made the trip. Great to finally make it here after our cancelled trip 3 years back. We took a tour bus from Dublin. Mary Gibbons tour of Hill of Tara, Knowth & Newgrange. Can't recommend it enough. She's excellent. I know tours ain't everyone's thing, but you don't get any less or more time there than if you made your own way to Newgrange and it just takes all the hassle out of getting there from the city. Only small groups too which was a really nice bonus as it was peaceful. Allowed time there is short but again like Knowth, not overcrowded. The entrance of Newgrange passage tomb is pretty in your face but I liked it. White quartz covers the front, the just fantastic entrance stone guards the way in, with its spiral motifs. A wonderful stone. The inside chamber is wow. To look up and see that wonderful corbelled roof, very special. The light demo is very well done. Too soon it was time to leave. We had a quick walk round the outside of the mound, looking at the rock art on the kerbstones then headed back to the bus, a bit soggy from the rain but very happy. Just magic to have finally made it to the Boyne Valley. Guess we all spend most of our time at sites that get seldom visited and it’s just us and the stones. Always a bit of a worry going to the big sites like Newgrange, Stonehenge and Skara Brae that the people/noise/rush with spoil the vibe. Newgrange/Knowth tour turned out great though, really enjoyed it. Should mention the visitor’s centre too, it’s excellent, I got myself a Newgrange tea towel to add to my collection! |
Posted by thelonious15th April 2023ce Edited 15th April 2023ce |
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Visited 23.5.11 At last, I get to visit the famous Newgrange – and what a fab place it is! Now, I know a lot has been said about the reconstruction, restrictions on visiting times etc but despite all this I thoroughly enjoyed my (brief) visit. Following out bus ride to Knowth, myself and Dafydd jumped on our allotted bus to Newgrange. There were 4 of us on the bus to Knowth – there were 60 of us on two buses going to Newgrange!! As we wound our way through the country lanes I caught my first glimpse of the famous white façade through the trees – I was getting excited! We disembarked and waited for our guide to lead us to the site. I won't talk about the site itself as I doubt there is anything else I can add. What I will talk about are the visitor arrangements. I thought the visitor centre was excellent; housing a very good museum, shop and restaurant. (Far, far better than what Stonehenge has to offer!) The organisation of the site bookings/buses was slick and the staff friendly and helpful. I also thought the entry fee was very reasonable (free for Dafydd) The only down side for me was the lack of time you had actually at the site to have a good look around and try to get a 'feel' for the place. In saying that I guess with so many people wishing to visit, it is understandable that time is kept to a minimum? I can't finish without mentioning the chamber – wow! fantastic! The 'light show' they do is very well done and adds to the occasion. All in all a most definite 'must see' site. |
Posted by CARL 7th June 2011ce |
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We were luckier at Newgrange with our guide than we had been at Knowth. He was far more interested and interesting, even though he had such a short amount of time to "talk the talk". I had been so thoroughly warned about the commercialism of this site that I turned up expecting to be disappointed; a great idea, as it turns out, because it was actually less Disneyfied than I had imagined and I had a great time! We really didn't have enough time to walk around the outside of the site though and our photos felt rushed rather than thought out - I think we just pointed and clicked, hoping we could get it all in! That evening, when I read about the site I realised that we had missed loads of interesting stuff. Ah well, good excuse for a return visit. At Loughcrew I felt quite emotional, seeing inside the passage and into the chamber. A similar thing happened here but it was the roof which took my breath away. I just kept staring up at it, unable to comprehend the incredible feat of engineering I was witnessing. I'm not sure about the facade of the tomb, whether the quartz was indeed used as a covering, although it seems as plausible as using gypsum to cover sites. I liked the idea of it being used as a ceremonial walkway though. All in all, I was mightily impressed with Newgrange and I have to say that, if you have to have a visitor centre, then have one like this! It was very sympathetically designed and the interpretative centre was pretty good. Just to echo others here; as we were leaving around 2pm, they were turning people away as all of the tours were fully booked. I would recommend you get there by lunchtime at the latest (oh and the food was great too....I now have a bottle of Bru Na Boinne springwater on my shelf with Newgrange on the label; great souvenir!!) This post appears as part of the weblog entry VVXX Phase 3 - Ireland
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Posted by Vicster27th August 2006ce |
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Newgrange looks amazing from the outside, but is blatantly too good to be true. The chamber is beyond belief. I just wish I could spend some time in there without an official guide's voice as accompaniment. This post appears as part of the weblog entry Sligo and Meath
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Posted by Cursuswalker14th February 2004ce Edited 14th February 2004ce |
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As a small contribution to the winter solstice celebrations, I've posted some images of the inside of Newgrange taken during a visit in the late 80s when you were taken round the tomb at a much more leisurely pace than today and photography was permitted. Also posted are images from roughly the same time of some art on the kerbstones. Most of these stones already appear here but the new ones are from the days before the lichen started to grow. The identification system in the images (K for kerb, C for chamber, L and R for left and right hand sides of the passage) are those used by O'Kelly. |
Posted by greywether21st December 2003ce Edited 21st December 2003ce |
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Myself and my girlfriend visited this site in the summer of 2001. The visitors centre was very busy and we were told there was a limited number of trips to Newgrange. Luckily we managed to get on the last-but-one bus out to the tomb. The lesson is go early especially if you want to see the other sites in the valley. It is sad that this place has been so commercialised but it is inevitable with the level of interest. They had rigged a spotlight up to simulate the sun shining through the lintel above the doorframe which was cool, this was accompanied by a knowledgeable commentary by the guide. I can't remember if there was a ban on taking photos inside, I certainly took some pictures (sneakily mibbe). My only gripe is that the time alloted to see inside the tomb and take pictures of the artwork is only _just_ enough if you are a very quick worker. Don't expect any time to take in the 'vibes'. Still, it is worth a visit. The carvings are absolutely stunning (as you can see from the photos here) and the tomb itself is a must-see. |
Posted by wee_malky27th May 2003ce Edited 27th May 2003ce |
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Our visit to Newgrange came after Dowth and Knowth. The contrast between these three sites is incredible. The white facade, is as the tour guides themselves admit pure conjecture, and was most likely chosen because it was the prettiest use imaginable. The truth is it looks way too modern in style. Too angular, too twee. Looking beyond this the decorated stones are wonderful, as is the large circle. Our guide for Newgrange was like a slightly toned down holiday rep. She insisted on cracking jokes about Neolithic people, and at one point started making drumming sounds in order to get people to move clockwise round the chamber. I felt completely ridiculous being a part of the whole sham. Once the bored and claustrophobic tourists had left, I asked the girl a few questions. She had told us when we entered that it was possible to see the light coming through the box at the entrance if you lay on the floor. I did just that, and it turned out she'd never actually tried it herself. She didn't try it this time either. She became impatient and kind of started moving us out. Along the passage way I stopped a couple of times to look at the carvings. She let out a sigh, and said something along the lines of "come on, there's more people to come through yet". Outrageous. We were probably the only people genuinely interested in the site, and yet we were treat with contempt. We were being processed and that's for sure. It's a real shame, because this place must once have been amazing. One more thing - You cannot take photographs in the main chamber because, as our lovely guide said, some people still respect the dead you know. There are however a series of ten postcards for sale in the security hut/gift shop which have been taken within the chamber. Did a ghost perhaps take these shots? |
Posted by IronMan18th April 2002ce Edited 19th December 2002ce |
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We went on a family holiday in about 1978 or '79 in Tulliallan, near Drogheda, and during the holiday we visited Newgrange. I remember thinking that day that the surrounding wall looked a bit like the Battle of Bannockburn memorial rotunda which is an odd modernist, 60's stylised thing which is a few hundred yards from where we lived at the time. I definitely remember squatting down with my Dad who was trying to explain something about the sunlight coming through a passage on a certain special day. I want to come back here and try to see past all the touristy stuff. |
Posted by winterjc 18th January 2002ce |
Folklore |
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Known anciently as Brugh na Boinne "Place of the Boyne" Newgrange is said to be the tomb of 'three times fifty sons of kings' belonging to the legendary kingdom of Tara (Illustrated guide to Newgrange by O'Kelly) It is also identified as the sidhe of Angus Mac Og, leader of the Tuatha da Danann- the children of the godess Danu/ Dana. One legend "The Dream of Angus" relates how he fell in love with a swan-maiden after she visited him in a dream. After she agreed to marry him, they fly off to Newgrange in the form of swans, where they lived happily ever after. In Scottish folklore, Angus was married to the goddess Bride, who was herself a swan-maiden. This is an interesting refernce as Newgrange itself may represent the layout of the constellation Cygnus- The Swan. |
Posted by faerygirl12th July 2010ce |
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If the axial orientation of Newgrange's entrance corridor were to be extended beond where the sun rises over Roughgrange Hill... it brings you at a distance of 15 kilometers to another passage grave called Fourknocks. According to work by Murphy and Moore (The Cygnus Enigma) the "window" created by the entrance at Fourknocks would have aligned with the star Deneb in the constellation Cygnus. "On the night of the midwinter solstice, Deneb marks the location of the sun from the time the sun sets until the time the sun rises plus or minus the time it takes for Deneb to come out into the darkening sky. So observers at either mound (Fourknocks or Newgrange) could track the position of the sun below the horizon using Deneb as their guide" Interestingly, Newgrange itself is also observed to have a layout that resembles cygnus, with Deneb falling into its northern recess, gamma cygni positioned at the centre of the stone-lined chamber and beta cygni (the beakstar) located at the mouth of the passageway. (Reference "The Cygnus Mystery by Andrew Collins) |
Posted by faerygirl 12th July 2010ce Edited 12th July 2010ce |
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The plundering of megalithic tombs by vikings, "Amlaibh, Imhar and Auisle (Audgisl) three chieftains of the gaill; and Lorcan, son of Cathal, King of Meath, plundered the land of Flann (North Brega). The cave of Achadh-Aldai (Newgrange); the cave of Cnoghba (Knowth); the cave of the grave of Bodan over Dubadh (Dowth); and the cave of the wife of Gobhan at Drochat-atha (Drogheda) were broken and plundered by these same gaill." Taken from the Annals of Ulster The viking raids on the great megalithic tombs of the Boyne valley in 863; by Olaf (Amlaibh) Ivar (Imhar) and Audgisl, probably carried out because after all the monastic raids that had been undertaken over the previous years, 'treasure' was by now getting hard to find. Is it true you may ask yourself, well it was recorded, and though there is some dispute about Newgrange (according to Gordon), it is a fascinating fact. The book I found this information from goes on to speculate, that one of the 'gaills' Ivar might have been the son of Ragnar Lothbrok, who spent three days in Maes Knowe because of a storm raging violently outside, and left the following scrawled on the wall... This mound was raised before Ragnar Lothbrok's... His sons were brave, smooth-hide men though they were... It was long ago that a great treasure was hidden here... Happy is he that might find the great treasure... Be that as it may, I expect there was'nt much treasure in the great tombs of the Boyne valley either. Information gleaned from 'The Fury of the Northmen' by John Marsden. |
Posted by moss 28th April 2010ce |
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Mapping the light fantastic at NewgrangeShedding new light on the solar illumination in the burial chamber on winter solstice. Free pdf download of the Winter 2021 article from Archaeology Ireland, Frank Prendergast, Clare Tuffy, Sinéad Gargan, John Lalor and Claire Breen |
Posted by ryaner 17th December 2022ce Edited 17th December 2022ce |
New Discoveries At Newgrange 1962 (RTE)Short (almost 11 minutes) piece about Professor O'Kelly's excavations at Newgrange. This episode of ‘Newsview’ was broadcast on 14 August 1962. The reporter is Sean Egan. |
Posted by ryaner 24th April 2020ce |
Boyne Valley TombsExploring the archaeology of the World Heritage Site of Brú na Boinne |
Posted by ryaner 17th April 2019ce |
Mythical Ireland - Newgrange folklore"The earliest antiquarians who visited, documented, sketched and spoke about Newgrange sometimes get a hard time from the modern academic establishment. The writings of Lhwyd and Molyneux and Pownall and Vallancey are all criticised for one reason or another (poor Charles Vallancey is largely ridiculed, perhaps because he referred to Newgrange as a Mithraic temple). All of the early antiquarian accounts of the monument are valuable for one reason or another. Some of them have captured aspects of the monument that have disappeared since they wrote. Without the tools and techniques of modern archaeology, all of them were poking around in the dark, so to speak. They couldn't have known the true age of Newgrange, nor could they have appreciated the skills of the artists and builders who created it, those whom they all too often referred to as barbarous. .... " |
Posted by tjj 20th July 2017ce |
Newgrange images through the agesIrish Archaeology collection of images and article. |
Posted by ryaner 9th December 2013ce |
The Heritage JournalProposed Slane Bypass will skim the Edge of Brú na Bóinne! |
Posted by moss 22nd January 2010ce Edited 22nd January 2010ce |
Beyond The Pale (including Irish Genius)What once was |
Posted by ryaner 29th January 2008ce |
Limerick Museum Online CatalogueOld Photograph of Newgrange - Look at all the trees on it! |
Posted by bawn79 6th December 2007ce Edited 6th December 2007ce |
Limerick Museum Online CatalogueOld Photo of Newgrange |
Posted by bawn79 6th December 2007ce Edited 6th December 2007ce |
Newgrange Lodge Budget AccomodationNew budget accomodation only 5mins walk from the Brú na Bóinne centre. Very nicely decorated inside with leather sofas and plasma screen in the common room, rooms are comfortable and staff are very freindly. Has both double rooms and dormer rooms for very good prices. |
Posted by CianMcLiam 26th April 2006ce |
New Grange TourGreat day out, picked us up from central Dublin. Also guarantees access inside !!! |
Posted by Rivington Pike11th November 2005ce |
101 Facts About NewgrangeA collection of 101 facts about Ireland's most famous monument, the megalithic passage-tomb of Newgrange, located in the Boyne Valley in County Meath, Ireland. |
Posted by mythicalireland 20th September 2004ce Edited 29th September 2004ce |
Megalithic art inside Newgrange - exclusive photosThere is some quite intricate megalithic art inside Newgrange, including the world famous "triple spiral" on an orthostat in the end recess of the chamber. |
Posted by mythicalireland 19th March 2004ce |
Mythical Ireland - Newgrange aerial photosPhotographs of Newgrange from the air. |
Posted by mythicalireland 11th November 2002ce Edited 29th September 2004ce |
Latest posts for Newgrange |
Showing 1-10 of 42 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
The Great Circle (Stone Circle) — Images (click to view fullsize) |
  
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Posted by ryaner 11th October 2013ce |
Newgrange Cursus — Images |
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Posted by ryaner 11th October 2013ce |
Newgrange Tumulus B (Passage Grave) — Fieldnotes |
| Although I didn't get to visit this Passage Grave up close it is easily visible in the distance from Newgrange itself; in the field the other side of the road you came along in the bus. |
Posted by CARL 7th June 2011ce |
Newgrange Tumulus A (Passage Grave) — Fieldnotes |
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Although I didn't get to visit this Passage Grave up close (in a field full of crop and not part of the Newgrange 'tour') I was able to see it out of the bus window. Easily seen on the left (when travelling from the visitors centre to Newgrange) |
Posted by CARL 7th June 2011ce |
The Great Circle (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes |
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Visited 23.5.11 While we were waiting for our turn to enter the passage of Newgrange, Dafydd and myself walked (or more accurately got blown) around the remains of the stone circle. The stones are large but not as large as Avebury/Stonehenge. They were however big enough to afford shelter from the near gale force wind! We also walked down to the bottom of the field where a single large standing stone stood. The stone seemed to align with the entrance to Newgrange? Two chaps had a long tape measure and were measuring something out across the field – no idea what they were up to? |
Posted by CARL 7th June 2011ce |
The Great Circle (Stone Circle) — Images |
  
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Posted by McGlen19th February 2009ce |
Showing 1-10 of 42 posts. Most recent first | Next 10
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