Newgrange is reputed to be one of the oldest man-made structures on earth, out-dating the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge by as much as 1,500 years. The Beaker People who built it were not only clever architects, they also were skilled astronomers. They designed Newgrange with a tiny window box that only let in sunlight for a few minutes during the winter solstice, December 19 – 23, the shortest days of the year.
I first learned about Newgrange from the late Irish folksinger Tommy Makem, who I was fortunate to interview in 1997. More than the baritone voice of The Irish Rovers, Makem was also a poet and author. I spoke with him about his book Tommy Makem’s Secret Ireland in which he wrote about his obsession with Newgrange.
Known in Gaelic as Brugh Na Boinne, the ceremonial site, he believed, was not for burials, but rather for religious rites. He said that ancient manuscripts told of a ceremony where initiates would go into Newgrange, fast for three nights in total darkness, and then emerge into the light.
“I remember very clearly the first time I visited Newgrange,” Makem wrote. “As I walked, or rather floated, up the long passageway between the tall, carved stones … the hairs on the back of my neck began to rise and tingle.”
You Are Invited to Explore Newgrange in Person
We have spaces open in our “Enchanted Ireland” tour September 6 – 15, 2022, so you could be part of the small group that will be experiencing the magical stones of Newgrange for yourself.
This “Spiritual Travel Adventure in the Land of the Faery Faith” also includes these highlights…
- Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry
- The 11th century monastery and beehive huts of Skellkig Michael
- St Brigid’s Holy Well and St Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare
- A Druid celebration at Grange stone circle
- The Rock of Cashel, and much more!
Click Here for Details of the Enchanted Ireland Small Group Tour
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