Winter solstice celebrations at Newgrange

About 2,000 people gathered at Newgrange in County Meath in the Republic of Ireland on Sunday to mark the winter solstice.

It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year.

Newgrange is an ancient burial tomb which is 5,200 years old – older than the Great Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge.

When the sun rises on the winter solstice the chamber inside Newgrange is illuminated in spectacular fashion.

This celestial event, occurring annually on 21 or 22 December, signals the sun’s “rebirth” as daylight hours gradually begin to lengthen.

The winter solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years, most notably at Newgrange, but also at Slieve Gullion in County Armagh.

However, the tomb at Slieve Gullion which is orientated west so that its inner chamber is illuminated by the setting sun has been closed for months due to safety concerns.

The historic Armagh Observatory, which is part of a bid for Unesco World Heritage status, recognising Ireland’s central role in a formative period of astronomical history, also marked the solstice at 15:03 GMT on Sunday.

Professor Michael Burton, director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, said: “What makes the winter solstice so compelling is that it is both exact and deeply familiar.

“It marks a precise turning point in Earth’s journey around the sun, yet it has been recognised and marked by people for thousands of years.

“From this moment, the days begin to lengthen again, offering a quiet but powerful reminder that change is already under way.”