Newgrange Winter Solstice
Newgrange is one of 40 passage tombs in Brú na Bóinne (meaning the bend of the Boyne River) in County Meath. During sunrise on the Winter Solstice mornings (19 – 23 December each year) a beam of sun light penetrates the roof-box and travels up to 19-metres (62 ft) along the passage, and illuminates the chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens, dramatically lighting up the entire chamber.
Solstice 2025
All applications will be online only for 2025
Solstice Lottery
In previous years, access to the chamber on Solstice mornings was determined by a public lottery.
In 2024, pupils from local schools had the important job of drawing just 38 lucky winners from the thousands of applications received. Each winner, along with a guest, had exclusive access to the chamber at Newgrange for sunrise on one of the five solstice mornings from December 19 – 23. The winners were drawn from locations across Ireland and around the globe, including Austria, Canada, the United States, Spain and the UK.
