Cloud obscured the first part pf the sunrise at Newgrnage for the winter spastic, and although the un broke through to light the chamber, it was too late to reach the inner passage.
The annual lottery draw for access to the chamber took place in October at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, where children from local schools selected 38 winners plus guests from over 16,000 applicants. Winners originate from locations including Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Meath, California, France, the Netherlands, New York and Taiwan. These individuals receive entry to the chamber on one of the mornings from 19 to 23 December.
Access to the chamber at sunrise is restricted to lottery winners, while visitors may queue afterwards for entry in groups. A live stream of the vent with commentary by Clare Tuffy and Frank Prendergast is available on OPW channels.
The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre opens early on solstice mornings, with free access until 08:30 and shuttle buses to the monument.
The illumination occurs as sunlight enters through the roof box above the entrance passage around sunrise at 08:58, reaching the chamber for up to 17 minutes subject to weather conditions. Visitors gather outside the monument on the five mornings to observe the sunrise alignment.
A solstice tale: How Newgrange became Ireland’s celebrity archaeological monument
