Solstice phenomenon broadcast on internet

The winter solstice at the Newgrange passage tomb in Co Meath is being broadcast live on the internet for the first time today to mark the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the phenomenon.

Thousands of people around the world apply every year for permission to witness the first rays of light streaming through the ancient monument but only a few are granted access.

Today’s live webcast began at 8.30am on the Heritage Ireland website and will also be broadcast tomorrow morning.

“If conditions are good the rising sun will illuminate the passage and chamber,” a Newgrange spokesman said.

A World Heritage site, Newgrange attracts 200,000 visitors per year.

The monument is believed to date from around 3,200 BC, making it 500 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and 1,000 years older than Britain’s Stonehenge.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the re-discovery of the winter solstice phenomenon in 1967, an exhibition entitled MJ And Claire O’Kelly, Partners In Prehistory is taking place at the adjacent Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre until January 20.