Experience Winter Solstice in Ireland in December
Loughcrew in County Meath Around the world, December 21 is known as Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the beginning of the winter season. While it often goes unnoticed in today's world of speed, sound and distraction, Winter Solstice was an important event in prehistoric Ireland, signifying a turning point in the year and the coming rebirth of the land. That's why prehistoric monuments in Ireland are often aligned with the rising sun on the winter solstice, built by the original Celtics who arrived in Ireland about 500 BC. Newgrange in County Meath Winter solstice is a popular annual tradition in Ireland, and here are some ancient sites that are gathering places for marking the occasion. The best known of these monuments is Newgrange, part of the World Heritage Property of Bru na Boinne in County Meath. The almost intact Neolithic tomb is more than 5,000 years old and on the winter solstice its inner chamber is illuminated by the rising sun. The dramatic ph