Winter Solstice to be livestreamed from inside ancient passage tomb at Newgrange
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The Winter Solstice will once again be livestreamed to the general public from inside the ancient passage tomb at Newgrange, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has announced.
This year, the spectacle will occur on Saturday, December 21, and it will also be broadcast on RTÉ in order to allow viewers from all over the world to watch.
The livestream will be accompanied by narration from specialists Dr Clare Tuffy and Dr Frank Prendergast, who will describe the event in detail.
They will guide viewers through the spectacular event, while also providing unique insights and perspectives on the significance of the winter solstice.
The Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon which marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn.
At sunrise, direct sunlight can enter the Newgrange monument to illuminate the chamber for 17 minutes through a small opening above its entrance called the 'roof box'.
However, while the Solstice peaks on December 21, the chamber is illuminated by the rising sun for a few days around that date. The phenomenon is available to view on a number of mornings during this period.
Commenting on the announcement of the livestream, head of heritage services at the OPW, Rosemary Collier, said: “Every year, the Winter Solstice receives much attention worldwide.
"At Newgrange, visitors gather at the ancient tomb to celebrate and experience the illumination of this ancient passage tomb, just as people did over 5,000 years ago.
"People can share in this experience by watching the live-stream online and on television in the comfort of their own homes.”
The celestial event will be available to watch on RTÉ News channel, and worldwide on the RTÉ Player as well as on RTÉ.ie, and the RTÉ News app.
It can also be livestreamed via the following platforms:
- gov.ie/opw
- heritageireland.ie
- youtube/opw
Recordings of previous livestreaming events from 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 are available to watch back on the OPW's YouTube channel here.
Since 2000, the OPW has operated a lottery draw for a place in the chamber to witness the Winter Solstice each year.
Typically, demand for the event vastly outstrips supply and the lottery was deemed to be the fairest way to allocate tickets.
The lottery usually takes place at the end of September each year.
Newgrange is Ireland's oldest Unesco World Heritage Property, and access is only available to visitors via the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, which is open daily.