In Part 3 of our miniseries on Newgrange we meet Clare Tuffy who describes her 30 years at the Brú na Bóinne, and the experience of the Winter Solstice at Newgrange.

The great passage tomb of Newgrange in the Boyne Valley of County Meath, is one of Ireland’s most iconic monuments. Today it is a World Heritage Site, and (on a normal year) it is one of our most visited monuments, with people from all over the world travelling to see this marvel of Neolithic engineering and belief. As the Winter Solstice is upon us, Newgrange takes on even more meaning, as it is aligned with the midwinter solstice. On a clear dawn on the 20th, 21st and 22nd December, a beam of light from the rising sun travels up the passageway to illuminate the chamber. Each year people gather in great numbers around the monument to celebrate this phenomenon, and lucky lottery winners get the ultimate prize of being inside the chamber to witness it first hand. However, this year, if it shines the light will pass unseen by human eyes. The pandemic that has taken so much, has also meant that the gathering for 2020 has been cancelled.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss Newgrange with some of the experts who know the site intimately. As a way of casting another kind of light on our iconic monument. This is the third episode of a miniseries focusing on Newgrange. In this edition Neil was joined by Clare Tuffy of the Office of Public Works. Clare has worked at Newgrange for over 30 years, and we discuss her incredible experience at the site and how Newgrange has changed over the years, what it’s like to manage a World Heritage Site, and the magic of the Winter Solstice at Newgrange.

The Winter Solstice at Newgrange Part 3 – Show Notes

• The Winter Solstice at Newgrange is being livestreamed this year, you can watch it here.
• For details on the opening times and more information on the Visitor Centre at the Brú na Bóinne please see the OPW website.
• You can hear Part 1 with Professor Muiris O’Sullivan here.
• You can hear Part 2 with Dr. Jessica Smyth here.
• You can hear Part 4 with Dr. Robert Hensey here.
• You can hear Part 5 with Professor Gabriel Cooney here.

Amplify Archaeology Podcast

This is the third part of a five episode miniseries focusing on Newgrange, the Winter Solstice and Neolithic Ireland. Please subscribe to Amplify Archaeology Podcast on your favourite platform to ensure you don’t miss a thing. If you leave us a review it can really help us to be found, so we’d be very grateful if you’d consider sharing the podcast.