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Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne

Slane · Ireland

Background

World Heritage since
1993
Type of site
Cultural
The tombs built
32nd c. BC

The three main prehistoric sites of the Brú na Bóinne complex, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, lie on the north bank of the River Boyne 50 km north of Dublin. UNESCO calls it Europe's largest and most important concentration of prehistoric megalithic art, with monuments that had social, economic, religious and funerary functions.

The complex holds at least ninety monuments in a bend of the river 8 km west of Drogheda; the three great tombs were built around 3200 BC, older than the pyramids of Giza or Stonehenge, some of their stones carried from the Mourne Mountains over 100 km away. Wikivoyage says Newgrange is a mound 76 m across and 12 m high, and that at midwinter sunrise, and at no other time, the sun shines down its passage through the roof box above the entrance. Medieval monks used it as a grain barn, hence the name.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. c. 4000 BCThe area is settled
  2. 32nd c. BCNewgrange, Knowth and Dowth are built
  3. Bronze and Iron AgesThe valley remains a place of ritual
  4. 18th c.Antiquarians begin to study the tombs
  5. 13th c.Monks of Mellifont use the Newgrange passage as a grain barn
  6. 20th c.Excavation and restoration
  7. 1993Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Newgrange
    The great passage tomb with its white quartz façade and carved entrance stone; the GoGo guide's day trip from Dublin.
  2. 2
    The Roof Box
    The open panel above the entrance that lets the midwinter sun down the passage.
  3. 3
    Knowth
    The tomb with the largest share of the megalithic art.
  4. 4
    Dowth
    The third of the great mounds.
  5. 5
    Visitor Centre
    The exhibition, a wheelchair-accessible replica of the Newgrange chamber, tea rooms and the tour desk.
  6. 6
    The Bend of the Boyne
    River on three sides, the Mattock on the fourth.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

From the South Bank
Wikivoyage: leave the M1 at junction 9 for Donore and Staleen Road; there is no access from the north bank, so ignore signs for Newgrange Farm. By bus, go via Drogheda.
Last Tour Early
The visitor centre on Staleen Road opens from 9:00 or 9:30; the last tour leaves 1 hour 45 minutes before closing, and no photography is allowed inside Newgrange.
Solstice Lottery
A lottery decides who sees the midwinter sunrise inside the chamber; winning tickets are not transferable.
Small Bags Only
There is no left luggage; small backpacks go in a locked box at the tomb entrance.

Newgrange from Dublin

From the GoGo Dublin guide · Open the Dublin Guide ›

  1. 10:00
    Newgrange Passage Tomb3 hrs
    The 5,000-year-old tomb older than the pyramids.
  2. 15:00
    St Stephen's Green1 hr
    Back in Dublin, the park.
  3. 16:15
    Merrion Square Doors45 min
    Georgian Dublin.
  4. 21:00
    Trad Music Session2 hrs
    A session in a pub away from the stag parties.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Jun–Sep.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Nov (106 mm), driest Apr (61 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
The Giant's Causeway is 172 km north; across the Irish Sea, the castles of Gwynedd are 183 km and the Welsh slate landscape 204 km.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 659 · Wikipedia: Brú na Bóinne · Wikivoyage: Brú na Bóinne (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Dublin guide · UNESCO listing