Monday the 21st of June, signals the time of the 2010 Summer solstice. After precisely 11:28, according to Wikipedia, the sun turns around and the days begin getting shorter, at least for those of us in the Northern hemisphere.
This change of direction, the sun stopping its northerly march and turning around, was not lost upon the ancients, who built many monuments to mark this datum point and others: the winter solstice and the two equinoxes. Ireland is full of them. You, the tourist, can actually see the timeless display of light these monuments are known for on special days. For the summer solstice, you'd have to go to Carrowkeel cairn, an estimated 700 years older than Newgrange in County Sligo.
Newgrange is designed to display the Winter Solstice, while the 5000 year old Loughcrew megalithic cairn T displays the spring and autumn equinox quite nicely.
Another place to celebrate the Summer solstice is on the Hill of Tara, according to Bernd Biege of Ireland Travel, "As it is traditional by now, Wiccans, Druids and other Pagans gathered on the Hill of Tara to greet the rising sun."
Happy Solstice, wherever you are.
Travel Information: The Passage Tombs of Newgrange and Knowth | Newgrange Pictures | Winter Solstice: Not Just Newgrange
Shouldn’t this read “Monday, the 21st of June?”
Yes, indeed. I just happened to be out here just outside of Rome, Italy, shivering in the cold and couldn’t make my self believe it was June, much less the end of June.
james