Winter Solstice at Newgrange, Co. Meath, Ireland

[Bobbie Ireland]

A magical place, a magical moment.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/hundreds-gather-at-newgrange-for-winter-solstice-celebration-29859371.html

[Donna]

....and a magical post! Thanks Bobbie! 

[Bobbie Ireland]

Never managed to be one of the lucky ones chosen to be inside the tumulus at the Solstice... but have been there on many other occasions. An ancient spirit lives there.

[patsy6]

Thanks for posting, Bobbie.  I too have been to Newgrange not on the winter solstice.  Even so, it is an awesome experience, in the truest sense of the word.  It is a passage tomb, and while I wouldn't recommend the passage to anyone who is claustrophobic, the circular chamber at the end of it is fascinating.  I'm an amateur historian, and love all things old.  Newgrange is by far the oldest thing I've ever seen.  At some 5,000 years old, it predates the Pyramid of Giza by 500 years and Stonehenge by 1,000 years.

[Bobbie Ireland]

Today, they control access to the site. I can remember, however, when one could just trundle on up to it and wander on in! Happy to have had that privilege. But restricted access is a must in these busy tourist times.

[Bobbie Ireland]

Another good piece re Newgrange from The Irish Times...

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/solstice-pilgrims-hail-greatest-show-in-living-memory-1.1636195