Historic importance of the lunar eclipse and winter solstice at Newgrange

In 2010 for the first time in 450 years both occurred on December 21st

This wonderful phenomenon was discovered by archaeologist, Professor Michael J O’Kelly in 1967.

His daughter Helen Watanabe O’Kelly told the BBC “He found the roof box when uncovering the roof chamber but wondered about its purpose…My mother, who worked closely with him, suggested that it might be connected with the winter solstice. And that was how he discovered it in 1967."

The next year Mr O’Kelly brought his daughter along. She described her experience “There were just the two of us. It was cold and dark - no razzmatazz, like you have now. I still remember sitting in the cold and we just waited.

"Suddenly this shaft of light came into the chamber and hit the back wall. I remember being quietly moved - it was like someone was speaking to you from thousands of years before. I still see it like a picture before my inner eye - it was a golden light."

Since Mr O’Kelly’s discovery Newgrange has become a major tourist attraction. In 1993 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Originally published in December 2010.

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Nster.com