Kildare viewers can watch the Winter Solstice thanks to new live stream

By Kim O'Leary

As Christmas rapidly approaches and the days become longer, one fantastic natural phenomen is set to occur in Co Meath on Wednesday, 21 December which is the annual winter solstice and now Kildare viewers can see the it through a live stream which comes into effect today from 8am.

The Winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon marking the shortening of days and the lengthening of the night time, with the day set to be the shortest of the year on the calendar. The winter solstice is observed by many cultures and it is holds a special place in old Irish history, and now this week Fáilte Ireland and the OPW have teamed up to give everyone an opportunity to watch the winter Solstice effect within the passage tomb at Newgrange.

A unique live stream will be established from the visitor attraction on the mornings of Wednesday and Thursday, December 20-21 (from 8.30am both days), with visitors now having access to watch the event online.

Welcoming the initiative, Minister of State for Tourism and sport, Brendan Griffin TD said: “This is a fantastic way to share the unique magic of Newgrange with a much larger audience. It is also a great way to highlight the type of compelling history and heritage that Ireland offers as a destination.”

Meanwhile, Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran said: “Newgrange nestled in the Boyne Valley is an important historical site in Irelands Ancient Heritage which attracted over 207,000 visitors in 2016. "Our annual Winter Solstice Lottery received over 33,000 applications to witness this event with winners from as far as Austria, Italy, Switzerland and the United States of America, showing the continuing fascination the Solstice has the world over.”

Interested viewers who subscribe in advance to the Ireland Ancient East YouTube Channel will get alerts and be prompted to tune in at the appropriate times.

The live stream will also be available to watch on the Ireland’s Ancient East website on a special page which will also provide context within the wider ancient Ireland and the Boyne Valley story. Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Ireland’s Ancient East, Jenny De Saulles, explained the importance of Newgrange for the tourism brand: “The Newgrange site is one of the jewels in the crown of Ireland’s Ancient East and we are delighted to be teaming up with the OPW to share its story with as wide an audience as possible. The history, heritage and the ancient atmosphere of Newgrange conjure up everything special about Ireland’s history and unique past and we are really happy to bring these elements to a wider audience.”

The winter solstice is sure to be an amazing sight and to see it visit https://www.irelandsancienteast.com/

Check out the trailer for the Winter Solstice at Newgrange below!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTLbEpP-S20[/embed]