Come and join Ireland and the world enjoying one of the most amazing human-natural spectacles, the winter solstice sunrise into the burial chamber at Newgrange, Ireland.
I have written about Newgrange before here on Panoramic Ireland, the ancient burial mound that should rightly be considered Ireland's greatest.
Older than the pyramids (by 600 years!), older than Stonehenge and much superior to that monument in terms of its construction, Newgrange covers more than an acre and it's possible to climb inside on a guided tour - by lottery on the days closest to the winter solstice on 21st December.
For approximately 17 minutes on the shortest day of the year, and a shorter amount of time on the days either side, the chamber receives direct sunlight - if there is any to be had.
In 2024, the solstice will be the morning of the 21st of December at 09:20 when the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn and hence at it's lowest latitude relative to Earth. From here on the days get longer.
So for 2024 the livestream from inside Newgrange will be on Saturday December 21st from 08:40 (Irish Time, obviously) and will have voiceover by Dr Clare Tuffy and Dr Frank Prendergast. It's available to watch in these places:
- RTE Player
- OPW (Office of Public Works)
- Heritage Ireland
- OPW - YouTube
If you're in Ireland for the winter solstice or beyond, Panoramic Ireland (that's me) create photography tours in Ireland for photographers and anyone interested in seeing more of the beauty of Ireland including our wonderful landscape and heritage.
