Brú na Bóinne

Brú na Bóinne is an archaeological complex along the River Boyne in County Meath, containing several burial mounds and stone structures from prehistoric times. The three main monuments—Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth—rise above gently sloping meadows and are surrounded by low walls, while many smaller mounds are scattered across the entire site.

The passage tombs were built around 3200 BCE, long before the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge. Later, Bronze Age people and early Celtic groups reused the site for burials and ritual activities.

The stone carvings across the complex show spirals, lozenges and wave lines that visitors can observe directly on chamber walls. The motifs recur on many stones and feel like a shared visual language that was apparently widespread at the time.

Visits inside the chambers are guided only, and spaces are limited, so arriving early in the day is worthwhile. The paths between mounds are easy to walk, but the site is large and you should allow a few hours to explore.

Each winter solstice morning, a narrow shaft of sunlight strikes the chamber floor in Newgrange for about 17 minutes. The alignment was calculated so precisely that the light still enters through the roof opening today, more than 5,000 years after construction.