Newgrange Great Circle Stone GC-1

Great Circle stone GC-1 is one of the surviving standing stones in the Great Circle at Newgrange. It stands to the east of the entrance to the mound. It is one of the four tall standing stones opposite the entrance to the Newgrange mound.

The standing stones

The Great Circle originally consisted of approximately 35 standing stones surrounding the mound, although only 12 survive today. The four tall standing stones opposite the entrance to the Newgrange mound rise between 2 and 2.5 metres above the original ground surface. They are GC3, GC1, GC-1 and GC-2. Many of the other surviving stones were broken in antiquity and now stand only a short distance above ground level.

Megalithic art

Megalithic art has been recorded on four Great Circle stones: GC3, GC17, GC-8 and GC-10. The markings are mainly scattered or closely grouped picking on the stone surfaces. GC-1 is not among the four decorated stones identified in Ken Williams's 2023 study. The circle has an average diameter of 103.6 metres (340 feet) and encloses an area of approximately two acres.

Dating the Great Circle

The date of the Great Circle remains debated. It has often been assigned to a later Beaker-period or Bronze Age phase, but Ken Williams's 2023 study argues, from the carvings and a reassessment of excavation records, that the stones were erected during the construction or use of the Neolithic passage tomb. The circle's precise construction date remains uncertain.

Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend

Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend by Professor Michael J. O'Kelly and Claire O'Kelly is the definitive archaeological study of Newgrange and one of the most important books ever published on an Irish prehistoric monument.

Based on Professor Michael J. O'Kelly's excavations between 1962 and 1975, the book explains the construction, chronology, megalithic art and winter solstice alignment of Newgrange. O'Kelly also describes the excavation, interpretation and restoration of the great passage tomb using detailed archaeological records and architectural analysis.

Richly illustrated throughout, the volume includes the important contribution of Claire O'Kelly, who collaborated closely in the excavation and recording of the site from its earliest seasons.

First published in 1982, with a paperback edition in 1988, the book remains an essential reference for anyone interested in the archaeology, megalithic art and wider significance of Newgrange and the Boyne Valley.

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Newgrange | Brú na Bóinne

GC-1 stands to the east of the entrance, one of the four tall Great Circle stones that face the passage across the open ceremonial ground. Together with GC3, GC1 and GC-2, it would have marked the threshold between the outer circle and the kerb-ringed mound. The circle lies on a larger diameter than the kerb and on a separate centre, suggesting that the Neolithic builders conceived the tomb and its stone ring as complementary rather than simply concentric structures.

Professor Michael J. O'Kelly's excavation and restoration work between 1962 and 1975 recorded the layout of the Great Circle as part of the full publication of Newgrange. Radiocarbon dates place construction in the earlier fourth millennium BC, making the monument among the oldest roofed buildings in the world. Today Brú na Bóinne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; passage tours leave from the visitor centre, and stones such as GC-1 remain visible from the path that circles the mound.