Celtic Rainbow can still ship Christmas gifts, but time is running out fast. For the ultimate WOW gift this year how about taking a loved one on our Northern Ireland/Donegal tour Oct. 29-Nov 7th 2010. You will make memories that will last a lifetime. Email me for a full itinerary of this tour or others on our web site.
http://www.CelticRainbowGifts.com
Linda@CelticRainbowGifts.com
Winter Phone: 207-244-5486


Winter Solstice at Newgrange

Newgrange will be one of the first stops on our Northern Ireland/Donegal tour next October. This massive 5,000 year old passage grave, with glistening white quartz wall is surrounded by 200,000 tons of rock. The complex of Newgrange was originally built between c. 3100 and 2900 BC, meaning that it's approximately 5,000 years old. According to Carbon-14 dates, it is more than 500 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, and predates Stonehenge by about 1,000 years. It is estimated that the construction of the Passage Tomb at Newgrange would have taken a work force of 300 at least 20 years.

The passage and chamber of Newgrange are illuminated by the winter solstice sunrise. A shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. The dramatic event lasts for 17 minutes at dawn on the Winter Solstice and for a few mornings either side of the Winter Solstice.

The guided tour takes you (62ft) into its central chamber, decorated with Neolithic ring markings. The highlight is the well-presented re-enactment of the tomb’s astronomical significance; light floods the chamber to represent the beam of sunlight that penetrates the core for 20 minutes at the winter solstice.

Newgrange has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and attracts 200,000 visitors per year.



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