01/06/2026
Let’s continue our journey to Ireland to 😊
Although local people always knew of the great mound, Newgrange entered the archaeological record in 1699 when workmen quarrying stone uncovered the entrance to the passage tomb. Early antiquarians recorded what they found, but for centuries the monument was surrounded by speculation, with some claiming it had been built by Phoenicians, Egyptians or Vikings.
Only in the 19th century did scholars begin to recognise Newgrange as the work of Ireland’s own prehistoric inhabitants. Archaeological investigations became more systematic during the 20th century, revealing a monument built around 3200 BC and part of the wider Brú na Bóinne complex.
Excavations also brought to light one of the world’s greatest collections of megalithic art. Newgrange is surrounded by 97 kerbstones, many of them decorated with intricate carvings. The most famous is Kerbstone 1 at the entrance, bearing the iconic triple spiral, or triskelion, that has become a symbol of Ireland’s prehistoric past. A carved groove runs down its centre, aligned with the passage and the path of the winter-solstice sunrise.
On the opposite side of the mound, Kerbstone 52 is covered with even more complex motifs and mirrors the central groove of the entrance stone, creating a symbolic connection across the monument. Kerbstone 67 on the northern perimeter is the third exceptionally decorated stone and is illuminated by the midsummer sunrise.
Deep inside the tomb, at the end of the passage, the famous triskelion appears again carved into the stone of the inner chamber.
Picture 1, 2, 7 and 8: Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre
