Equinox at Cairn T, Loughcrew, March 2012

At Loughcrew, Co Meath, a large number of passage tombs were built across a range of three hilltops during the neolithic period, roughly 5,000 years ago. They may be contemporary with Newgrange and Knowth, or possibly earlier. At the summit of the middle hill, Cairn T is the focal tomb of the complex, surrounded by smaller satellite tombs. Its passage opens roughly to the east, allowing the rising sun on the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes to illuminate the very back stone of the rear chamber and the complex megalithic art motifs carved on it. The meaning of these motifs is obscure but many feel they reflect an interest in astronomy and the movements of the sun. These photos were taken on the only morning the sun illuminated the chamber of the three mornings the cairn was open to the public.