newgrange bru na boinne

Newgrange is Ireland's best known prehistoric monument, and one of the finest passage-tombs in the whole of Western Europe. Foremost among the passage-tombs of Europe, Newgrange has long evoked the wonder of archaeologists and laymen alike. The most penetrating excavation work undertaken at any prehistoric site in Ireland so far has revealed much about its construction and purpose; but other secrets, such as the cryptic symbolism of its beautifully decorated stones, remain inviolate. The almost heart-shaped mound is about 36 feet high and about 300 feet in diameter. Carbon dating has shown that the tomb was constructed around 3100 BC and is thus probably centuries before the Pyramids.
The magnificent entrance slab is a decorated stone covering a small box over the passage which allowed the sun's rays to penetrate to the centre of the burial chamber as they appear above the horizon on the morning of 21 December, and one or two days on either side of it. It is 'one of the most famous stones in the entire repertory of megalithic art' and is especially satisfying, the confidently executed spiral and lozenge motifs still crisply defined after 5,000 years. The triple spiral, found only at Newgrange, occurs both on the entrance stone and inside the chamber. The passage is long, over 60 feet, and leads to a cruciform burial chamber with a corbelled roof which rises steeply upwards to a height of nearly 20 feet. A number of its stones, particularly those in the inner half, bear decoration such as spirals, zigzags etc. and one, on the right, has a number of grooves making the stone look as if it had ribs. Recent excavations have shown up some clever and intricate techniques used in building the mound, particularly the stone packing above the chamber, and also the use of a channel on the upper part of the stones of the passage so that water filtering down from above could be drained off rather than dripping into the chamber - which remains remarkably dry.
Standing upright in the earth outside the base of the mound are large boulders up to 8 feet high, of which 12 out of the original estimated 38 survive. The revetment of large horizontal stones surrounds the base of the mound and many of these are also decorated with geometric designs. Excavation has shown these stones to be later than the great mound. At Newgrange Farm folklife heritage is being preserved. As part of a farm tour there is wide-ranging display of farm tools and implements which include spring wheels, scythes, ploughs, threshing machines, etc. Facilities include car and bus parking, toilets, indoor and outdoor picnic areas and coffee shop.

There are two related tombs in the vicinity, Knowth and Dowth. There is also a wealth of history in the surrounding area, including the Hill of Slane.