Newgrange is a passage-grave that overlooks the valley of the Boyne river in County Meath, Ireland. It is widely considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sites in Europe. In Irish tradition the Bru na Boinne (the Gaelic for "Valley of the Boyne") is sacred in and of itself, a reason why several other passage grave complexes, such as Dowth and Knowth, were built there. Newgrange, though, is special.

Newgrange is the only passage-grave ever excavated that is aligned so as to allow the light from the Winter Solstice sunrise to enter and light the main chamber deep within the mound. This has significant spiritual meaning, as the Winter Solstice is the time of the longest night, and the sunrise after this night (as the Druids would have celebrated it) would mark the beginning of the return of light to the world. Building a passage-grave so that the light of the beginning of the sun's annual resurrection may fall on the remains of the ancestors is a powerful symbol, and serves to show the ancient Celts' considerable theological, astronomical and architectural sophistication.

The purpose behind the construction of Newgrange remains, to a degree, a mystery. While the excavation of the barrow earlier in this century revealed the remains of several individuals within the central chamber, whether interment was the initial and sole intent behind Newgrange is uncertain. The alignment with the Winter Solstice and the white quartz facing of the monument suggest that this monument was constructed with more than burial in mind, but the inner chamber is too small for more than a handful of individuals to witness the brilliant Solstice sunrise. Would the highest of the Celtic elite celebrate the holiday within, while others gathered outside for a group ceremony? Or could Newgrange have been constructed for the exclusive use of a very high-ranking noble family, as a private catacomb and worshipping space? The remains found had few grave goods to support the second theory, but unsupervised access to the mound for decades before the excavation could explain the lack of luxurious artifacts. The state in which the remains were found also leads to some speculation, a mix of burnt and unburnt bones, in some disarray. Were all of an individual's remains brought here, or just part? Were remains left here forever, or were they circulated yearly, removed after the Solstice light had imbued them with the spirit of resurrection? Unless some startling resource is found, speculation may provide the only answers to the many questions.

In Irish mythology, Newgrange is the home of Aenghus mac Og, god of love. He won the site from his father, the Dagda, by means of a trick. Aenghus had been away when the magical places of Ireland had been parcelled out to the various gods, and upon returning, begged his father that he might have Newgrange for only the space of a day and a night. When twenty-four hours had passed, the Dagda returned to claim his own, only to have Aenghus refuse to give up Newgrange, claiming that all of time could be divided into the space of day and night, and that Newgrange was therefore His until the end of time, by the terms of the agreement. Aenghus is supposed to have lived quite happily there for some time, with his wife, Caer Ibormeith, whom he wooed and won in the form of a  swan, as she was enchanted into that shape.

Newgrange is well worth visiting, and is a very popular site with tourists to Ireland. There is a waiting list for as long as ten years for the privilege of being inside the mound at sunrise on the morning of December 21, the Winter Solstice. The freedom to walk within this sacred monument is now in danger, however, as moisture from the breath of the hundreds of daily visitors has been found collecting on the stones inside the mound, risking irreparable damage - the monument is as weatherproof as the day that it was built, but the pervading humidity from tourists' breath was not a force that was forseen or engineered against.

Click on any of the thumbnails below to see these pictures in greater detail. . .

. . . or read a personal account about experiencing Winter Solstice Sunrise in Newgrange

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All text and photographs on this page © Jen Llyne Burton, 1998. All rights reserved, reproduction prohibited.