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Loughcrew Spring Equinox 2005

Access to Loughcrew Cairn T

Cairn T has been closed to the public since October 2018. There is currently no access to the interior of the chamber on equinox mornings. Visitors may still gather outside the cairn to watch the sunrise.

Due to adverse weather on 20, 21 and 22 March there was no spring equinox sunrise to illuminate the chamber of Cairn T. The sunrise on 23 March looked as if it might be hampered by mist. Thankfully it turned out to be a perfect sunrise to illuminate the backstone of the chamber in Loughcrew Cairn T.

Orange equinox sunrise over misty hills at Loughcrew, with a dark stone edge in the foreground. Sunrise at Loughcrew, 6:25am on 23 March 2005.
Narrow golden sunbeam entering the Cairn T chamber at Loughcrew before it reaches the carved backstone. 6:30am: the sunbeam in the chamber before it reaches the backstone.
Equinox sunbeam beginning to light the Cairn T backstone, showing zigzags, sunbursts and a flower-like carving. 6:40am: the sunbeam creeps onto the backstone of Cairn T.
Rectangular equinox sunbeam on the Cairn T backstone lighting an eight-petalled flower motif and ladder carving. 6:50am: the sunbeam moves across the backstone. The dark patch at the bottom left is a shadow from part of the iron gate surround at the entrance.
Bright rectangular sunbeam fully lighting sun, zigzag and flower carvings on the Cairn T backstone. 6:53am: the most impressive stage of the illumination on the backstone.
Equinox sunbeam shifting lower across the carved Cairn T backstone at Loughcrew. 6:58am: the sunbeam moves across and down on the backstone.
Sunbeam continuing down the Cairn T backstone, lighting rayed circles and zigzag bands. 7:06am: the sunbeam continues its journey across and down the backstone.
Equinox sunlight illuminating the bottom right corner of the Cairn T backstone. 7:12am: beam of equinox sunlight illuminating the bottom right corner of the backstone.
Sunbeam near its lowest point on the carved Cairn T backstone at Loughcrew. 7:19am: the sunbeam near its lowest point on the backstone.
Final stage of the equinox sunbeam on the Cairn T backstone just before it moves off the stone. 7:23am: the sunbeam just before it moves off the backstone.

Book cover: Light Years Ago by Tim O'Brien, with a golden flower-like sun carving on dark stone. Light Years Ago: A Study of the Cairns of Newgrange and Cairn T Loughcrew, Co. Meath, Ireland by Tim O'Brien shows that the symbols of the sun engraved on the backstone of Cairn T at Loughcrew are precisely positioned to measure solar movement. A beam of light from the rising sun around the time of the March and September equinoxes is mapped on the backstone.

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Loughcrew Video: Spring Equinox 2005

The progress of the sunbeam on the backstone inside Cairn T at Loughcrew was video recorded at sunrise on the morning of 23 March 2005. The 50 minute video has been compressed to 1 minute 46 seconds and included in the following YouTube video.

Spring Equinox sunrise at Loughcrew Cairn T, March 2005.

Gossan Stones Equinox Sunrise Alignment

Equinox sunrise framed between two standing stones at the Gossan Stones in the Wicklow Mountains. The equinox sunrise is framed by the Gossan Stones in the Wicklow Mountains.
Tall view of equinox sunlight illuminating sun symbols, zigzags and ladder motifs on the Cairn T backstone at Loughcrew. Equinox sunlight on the backstone in Cairn T.

Loughcrew Equinox Archive

See also the main Loughcrew Equinox page.

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