It was back to the Hill of Tara on the eve of the Summer Solstice, 20 June 2025. In Irish tradition, festivals are celebrated from the eve of the festival day, hence Hallowe'en (the eve of All Hallows, or All Saints' Day). Sunset was at 9.57, and we made up some of a large crowd who gathered to watch the...
On 22 December 2024, we travelled through the driving rain to reach the Hill of Tara at 8.30 a.m., just in time for the winter solstice sunrise at 8.38. Winter solstice (grianstad an Gheimhridh) has been observed since Neolithic times in Ireland. Many people gather at ancient ceremonial sites to mark the shortest day of the year. Though Newgrange...
Old Kilcullen Graveyard contains an extraordinary concentration of Irish history. It is the site of a monastery said to have been established by St Patrick and still has the remains of two Celtic high crosses (high crosses are found in Celtic countries and date from the 9th to the 12th centuries). In addition, it has the base of a round...
