Website crashes as 300,000 view winter solstice

A WEBSITE broadcasting yesterday’s winter solstice at Newgrange crashed at one point because of the number of people viewing it.

The computer server broke down when as many as 300,000 people tried to view sunlight flooding the Co Meath passage tomb on www.heritageireland.ie

It was broadcast live for the first time yesterday to mark the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the phenomenon.

Thousands of people around the world apply every year to witness in person the first rays of light streaming through the ancient monument but only 20 are given access.

The OPW is adding extra capacity to the server to cope with extra traffic for today’s 16-minute solstice event.

Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre manager Clare Tuffy said they could not put an exact figure on how many had attempted to view the spectacular event on the website yesterday.

“We have no idea how many viewed the solstice around the world but we know the server crashed when at one point there were 300,000 simultaneous hits. We later received texts from Australia, New Zealand and the US.”

The live webcast began at 8.30am and will also be broadcast today at 8.30am.

“Conditions were perfect today and the forecast is good for tomorrow morning,” Ms Tuffy added yesterday.

A World Heritage site, Newgrange attracts 200,000 visitors per year. It is believed to date from about BC3,200, making it 500 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and 1,000 years older than Stonehenge.

To celebrate the anniversary of the modern discovery of the phenomenon, an exhibition titled MJ And Claire O’Kelly, Partners in Prehistory is taking place at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre until January 20.