Newgrange: A Light of Ireland

First on my retracing of Ireland's mythical, ancient, and early Christian sites is one of my favorite places on the entire island: Newgrange. Located in the fertile Boyne River valley in County Meath, Newgrange is a masterful example of a "passage tomb." While tombs like this dot the Irish landscape, Newgrange is possibly the most famous. It was constructed around 3,200 B.C., which makes it 500 years older than the Giza pyramids and 1,000 years older than Stonehenge.

However, Newgrange is much more than a simple burial site. On the outside of the tomb, there is a small window above the entrance. This "roof box" aligns with the rising sun's rays on the winter solstice. Every year from December 19th to 23rd, when the sun rises, the light enters the roof box and illuminates the inner passage and the chamber where the dead's cremated remains were placed. Just as impressive are the intricate art on the kerbstones, the large decorated rocks holding the mound up, and the carvings on the inner chamber's walls.

As I mentioned above, Newgrange was one of my absolute favorite places in Ireland. The mere thought of the site alone was enough to amaze me. It was built without mortar, and the inner chamber is still waterproof today. In addition, the granite kerbstones and gleaming white quartz fac̹ade came from many different places around the island. The dedication it must have taken to build Newgrange speaks to how important the site must have been to its creators.

Then, of course, there is the spiritual significance of the site. I am a spiritual person in general, but Newgrange touched me more deeply than I ever imagined it would. I knew from the moment I first saw the mound, towering over the neat rolling fields of County Meath, that I was arriving at a very special place. The whole site emanated a feeling of infinite peace. The carved kerbstones and beautiful white quartz, sparkling in the sunlight, created a mood of contemplation and simple happiness for me. The sheer beauty and soft murmuring of the nearby Boyne River helped enhance the site's feeling of spirituality and peace.

Even more thrilling was the experience I had when our guide simulated the illumination of the inner chamber (we just missed the winter solstice). I had never been in a place so absolutely still; although there were more than twenty people squeezed inside, I swore that nobody was breathing. But it wasn't an oppressive silence: on the contrary, I distinctly felt something else in the chamber with us, a sort of benign presence, and several other people in my tour group reported having similar awareness of a good spiritual force. I left the mound feeling completely at peace with the world and unusually fond of everyone who had shared the experience with me.

Newgrange was amazing. Words can barely describe how much I fell in love with it. The spiritual resonance it had with me was incredible, and I strongly encourage anyone with religious or spiritual leanings to visit it. It will not disappoint!

A Land of Myth and Spirit

While visiting Ireland and Northern Ireland this past winter, I quickly learned that the Emerald Isle is a land of stories. It seemed that myths, legends, and literature were everywhere I looked. Not only that, Irish writers drew a lot of inspiration from the tales all around them. The connection between literature and local myths was especially prominent in the career of W.B. Yeats, who was greatly inspired by the scenery of County Sligo in the northwest corner of the Republic of Ireland. Yeats' tomb even reflects a connection between writing and myth: he is buried underneath Ben Bulben, a flat mountain that is rumored to be the burial spot of Gráinne and Diarmuid, two lovers from Irish myth.

Sites connected to myth, however, are not the only landmarks that dominate Irish scenery. Early in the history of Christianity, Ireland was a cradle of civilization. The monks that populated early Christian Ireland were responsible for preserving old Celtic folklore and blending the Celts' spiritual ideas with their own beliefs. While these early monasteries are now deserted, the buildings remain, standing as reminders of the monks' literary and artistic achievements. The remains of early Christian Ireland are at their most impressive at two sites near Dublin: Monasterboice and the breathtakingly beautiful Glendalough.

The landscape of Ireland is dotted with strange and mysterious landmarks. Some of them, like the "thin spots" between the human world and that of the fairies, are naturally occurring landmarks. Others, like Glendalough and the Stone Age tomb Newgrange, are manmade. However they got there, though, all of them have a deep connection with myth and, often, a sense of spirituality and even of magic.