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Newgrange Solstice - 18th December 2010

At Newgrange in the Boyne Valley, a beam of sunrise enters through the roof-box on mornings around the Winter Solstice, travels the 19-metre passage, and illuminates the inner chamber. The photographs below record that dawn on 18th December 2010, a cold snowy morning when cloud on the horizon parted to let the higher sunbeam reach the chamber.

Two standing stones of the Great Stone Circle at Newgrange in a snow-covered field under an overcast winter sky. A cold snowy morning at Newgrange with a bank of cloud on the eastern horizon.
Newgrange passage tomb with white quartz facade lightly dusted with snow, standing orthostats in the foreground. The Solstice Lottery winners are inside waiting and hoping for the sun to break through the cloud.
OPW staff and solstice watchers in winter coats standing before the snow-dusted Newgrange entrance and kerbstones. OPW Staff and a few Solstice Watches outside the passage entrance.
Weathered standing stone from the Great Circle at Newgrange in a snowy field, with sunlit Boyne Valley hills beyond. It looks like the standing stone is floating a few inches above the ground, of course it's just a visual illusion.
Newgrange roofbox lintel carved with lozenges above entrance orthostats lightly dusted with snow. The sun shining through the roofbox and up the passage, it's the higher beam that illuminates the chamber.
Frost-covered scene at Newgrange with visitors by the entrance and orthostat GC1 showing weathered zigzag carvings in the foreground. The standing stones throwing long shadows.
White quartz facade of Newgrange illuminated by morning sun, with standing stones, kerbstones and visitors near the entrance. The White Quartz front wall of Newgrange illuminated by the morning sun.
Solstice lottery winners in winter coats emerging from the Newgrange passage entrance beside the quartz and dry-stone wall. The Solstice Lottery winners emerge from the Newgrange chamber.
View along the Newgrange passage with orthostats and capstones, sunlight streaming in from the entrance and roof box at the far end. The sun retreats from the passage.

Newgrange Winter Solstice Archive

Newgrange roofbox above the entrance lintel, with lozenge carvings on the roofbox lintel stone. Newgrange roofbox above the entrance lintel.
Newgrange Winter Solstice : National Monuments Service.

Setting Sun Alignments

The Winter Solstice Setting Sun illuminates the chamber at the nearby Dowth mound and at the cairn on Slieve Gullion in Co. Armagh.

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