Newgrange Great Circle Stone GC17

Great Circle stone GC17 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.

Purchase at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

Newgrange | Brú na Bóinne

GC17 stands on the western side of the Great Circle at Newgrange, one of twelve surviving positions from an original ring of about thirty-five standing stones. Along with GC13, GC11 and the other shorter stones on this arc, it was broken down in antiquity and now rises only a short distance above the ground. None of the circle stones carry megalithic art; GC17 marks a plain boundary on the outer enclosure that lies between 7 and 17 metres outside the kerb, framing the passage tomb without the carved decoration found on stones such as K1.

The Great Circle was recorded in detail during the twentieth-century excavation of Newgrange, when the layout of kerb, passage and outer ring was established as a single Neolithic building programme dating to about 3200 BC. Newgrange forms the centrepiece of Brú na Bóinne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the great mounds at Knowth and Dowth and dozens of related monuments in the Boyne Valley. The Office of Public Works manages the site; passage access is by guided tour from the visitor centre, and GC17 can be viewed from the path that circuits the mound.