Newgrange

Newgrange is an extraordinary Neolithic passage tomb in the Boyne Valley and one of Ireland’s most significant prehistoric monuments. Built around 3200 BC, it predates Stonehenge and the great pyramids of Egypt and features a grass-covered mound, 97 carved kerbstones and a reconstructed white quartz façade. At the winter solstice, sunlight enters through an opening above the entrance, travels 19 metres down the passage and briefly illuminates the burial chamber. Newgrange forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Brú na Bóinne, a remarkable prehistoric landscape of monumental tombs and exceptional megalithic art. The surrounding Boyne Valley was also the setting of the 1690 Battle of the Boyne, a pivotal event in the Williamite War.