The magic of the oldest clock in the world

IT was standing room only as a select few waited at the heart of Ireland’s most celebrated tomb yesterday.

Dawn at the Newgrange passage grave in the Boyne Valley heralded the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, as it had done for 5,000 years.

Junior finance minister Tom Parlon was among the 20 mostly media personnel to share the awe-inspiring experience.

“The minister was just beaming when he came out. He really enjoyed himself, he was smiling, ear to ear,” enthused Claire Tuffy, whose Brú na Bóinne centre organises visits to the heritage sites in the Boyne Valley.

For just 17 minutes the sun - then at its lowest point in the northern hemisphere - fills the passage grave with a burst of light, triggering all types of emotions in those assembled there.

Newgrange is a huge international draw: 24,000 visitors this year put their names down for the lottery draw to attend the winter solstice.

“In 1985 we stopped taking names for the solstice waiting list, because at that stage we had more than 1,000 names,” said Ms Tuffy. You could be waiting upwards of 20 years, by that method, before your name came up.

Children from the local schools drew out the names of 50 local people who were guaranteed a hallowed visit to the grave’s inner sanctum during the six mornings at this time of year.

“On five of those mornings it is only the people who have had their names drawn out of the lottery who get called,” Ms Tuffy said.

“There wasn’t much chat in the chamber this morning. People just seemed to have their own thoughts, just watching the sun.

“It was brilliant,” said Ms Tuffy, experiencing her 23rd winter solstice at Newgrange.

“Even after all these years of waiting for dawn and hoping everything goes to plan, it’s still a great privilege to be in the chamber, waiting, knowing that 5,000 years ago people were waiting for the same event.”