Newgrange Great Circle Stone GC13

Great Circle stone GC13 is one of the surviving standing stones in the Great Circle at Newgrange. It stands to the west of the entrance to the mound.

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.

Unlike the decorated kerbstones of Newgrange, none of the standing stones in the Great Circle are carved. The circle has an average diameter of 103.6 metres (340 feet) and encloses an area of approximately two acres.

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

GC13 marks a point on the western side of the Great Circle, within the stone ring that Claire O'Kelly described as enclosing about two acres around the base of the mound. Excavation revealed other features in the same area, including arc-shaped rows of pits and the partly destroyed satellite tomb known as Site Z, showing that Newgrange was never an isolated monument but the focus of a broader Neolithic cemetery on the ridge.

Brú na Bóinne brings together Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth with dozens of related sites in the Boyne Valley floodplain and on the surrounding heights. The area was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Newgrange is managed by the Office of Public Works; access to the passage is by guided tour from the visitor centre, and the Great Circle stones, including GC13, can be viewed from the path that circuits the mound.