Newgrange is the best known of Irelands many passage tombs, though its present form is the result of major reconstruction works and very thorough excavations of the mound, the passage and the standing stones outside that form part of a theoretical circle around the mound.

A mixture of sand and burnt clay was used to waterproof the inner chamber when the tomb was built and this allowed us to carbon date the chamber to around 6,000 years ago.

The mound itself covers an area over one acre in size and is surrounded by 97 kerbstones, many of which are carved with designs and motifs which are typical of the Neolithic megalithic art but like all passage tombs that bear carvings, Newgrange has themes and patterns unique to this tomb.

The entrance of the tomb was heavily modified to allow easier visitor access, originally entering the tomb meant climbing over the entrance stone but after the excavations were complete the entrance was scooped out to allow steps to cross the kerb on both sides of the entrance. This part of the facade has been walled with grey stone to indicate it is not an original feature of the tomb though this inference is not clear to the first time visitor.

During the excavation the quartz stones which had fallen forward from the mound were built into a dazzling white facade after experimentation and analysis of how the stones fell indicated that a tall, steep outer wall was the most likely method of construction originally, though this wall fell within hundreds of years after the tomb was finished.

Some more stunning carving work seen here on a detail of Kerbstone 67 on the eastern side of the mound.

Although the nearby mounds at Knowth feature far more megalithic art, and is a larger more complex site, Newgrange has become world famous after observations made during excavations cofirmed what local folklore had always attested.
The small aperture above the door of the entrance with its intriguing carved lintel, though it is pretty inconspicuous, allows one of the worlds first known solar observatories to function with amazing accuracy today as it has done for the past 6,000 years. The midwinter sunrise on the shortest day of the year shines through this aperture, up the sloping passageway and into the very heart of the inner chamber 19 metres inside the mound. The thin ribbon of light allows the observer to determine the traditional festival at winter solstice with stunning accuracy.

The passage of Newgrange on the morning of the Winter Solstice, as the sun retreats down the passage.

Engineering though is only part of picture, astronomers observed the rising sun over many years and marked out the orientation of the passage and chamber to allow its alignment to function. Artists picked the many designs including the celebrated 'triple spiral' inside the rear chamber and on the entrance stone using only stone tools, picking away for many, many hours, days and weeks to create extraorinary artwork still vibrant today even if its original 'meaning' if one existed, has been lost in the intervening millenia.

Click on the photo to enlarge...

Under the stars and the clouds in late October 2006.

Today the mound and circle are major tourist attractions and in the mid-nineties an interpretive centre was built across the river to manage the huge number of visitors who come here each year to see both Newgrange and Knowth. The centre holds an exhibition on Neolithic life, the excavations and artifacts found in the tombs plus an audio-visual presentation speculating on the motives of the builders. The film also explains very well the alignment here and how it functions.

This massive standing stone sits right next to the hedge in front of the mound and is carved with spirals, horseshoe shapes and other patterns, often missed on the short tour of the site.

Each year a lottery is held to allocate the limited number of places available for people to view the solstice sunrise, every year over 25,000 people apply to be included in the draw but a large crowd always gathers on the hill in hope of a spectacular sunrise such as we had in 2004.