Monastic Ireland: Newgrange

          Newgrange, a passage tomb pre-dating the great pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in Great Britain, is located in Boyce Valley, County Meath, Ireland. It is 1 of 40 megalithic tombs in the country. For its age it is excellently preserved with minor reconstruction by its excavator Michael O’Kelly of County Cork. The façade is O’Kelly’s interpretation of how the stone would have appeared in the original interpretation. Between December 17^th and 23^rd , especially the winter solstice on the 21^st, the rising sun illuminates the chamber through a portal above the entryway. The site was dedicated to the cremated remains of important persons of ancient society. An estimated five people were discovered in the excavation including ashes and bones, even skeletal remains and teeth. Newgrange also served as a territorial marker and site of ceremonial events.

            Ninety-seven kerbstones circle a large earthen mound with a centralized chamber in the shape of a cruciform. With a diameter of 85m across, the mortar-less construction weighs in at over 200,000 tonnes. Decorative spirals, serpentine forms and other graphics that allude to nature decorate the kerbstones and interior. The hilltop establishment blends into nature with grass coating its roof. Fellow passage tombs in Knowth and Dowth are also aligned with celestial accurances, the winter solstices of the setting sun and spring/fall equinoxes.

            Historically, Newgrange represents the oldest site in Ireland and one of the oldest traces of human activity in the world. It indicates intelligent designers and a society of hierarchy because it required organization, leadership and productivity. The stones of the monument came from over 50km that hints at incredible ingenuity considering their mass and difficulty in transporting. Obviously these humans were both interested in and capable of making precise scientific observations of the heavens. Its construction was important to these people and passed on among generations taking up to 100 years to complete.

            Newgrange is significant to modern Ireland because it confirms a date of at least 4,000 BC of humans in Ireland. They were intelligent and spiritual: the original saints and scholars. It points towards a societal congruence and technology. Much of Newgrange’s past is unknown because of the lack of resources and other sites present today.

            Our group was impressed with the detail with which the architects built Newgrange. Nathan enjoyed the tri-spiral because of its mystical values and presence found throughout the ancient world. Deanna and Jennie were intrigued by the ceiling’s vaulted structure that was made to prevent moisture from entering the tomb and percolating through the rocks. We also thought that the burial process and respect for ancestors was striking. Overall Newgrange is a site worth seeing because of its historical significance and incredible antiquity. 

The Passage Tomb

Michael O'Kelly's interpretation of what the tomb would have looked like on the outside.

The entry to the chamber. Notice the designs on the kerbstones.