Newgrange Kerbstone K21

It is one of the 97 kerbstones numbered in Professor Michael J. O'Kelly's record of the monument. Walking clockwise from the entrance stone (K1), K21 is twenty stones away from the entrance.

Newgrange Kerbstone K21

Plan of Newgrange Mound adapted from Newgrange - Archaeology, Art and Legend

Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend

Newgrange – Archaeology, Art and Legend by Professor Michael J. O'Kelly and Claire O'Kelly is the definitive archaeological study of Newgrange and one of the most important books ever published on an Irish prehistoric monument.

Based on Professor Michael J. O'Kelly's excavations between 1962 and 1975, the book explains the construction, chronology, megalithic art and winter solstice alignment of Newgrange. O'Kelly also describes the excavation, interpretation and restoration of the great passage tomb using detailed archaeological records and architectural analysis.

Richly illustrated throughout, the volume includes the important contribution of Claire O'Kelly, who collaborated closely in the excavation and recording of the site from its earliest seasons.

First published in 1982, with a paperback edition in 1988, the book remains an essential reference for anyone interested in the archaeology, megalithic art and wider significance of Newgrange and the Boyne Valley.

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Newgrange | Brú na Bóinne

Ireland's Ancient East marketing route includes Newgrange among its headline sites, but the monument's significance rests on decades of scientific excavation rather than modern branding alone.

The chamber tri-spiral, roof stones and basin stones inside the mound complement the art on the kerb. In all, Claire O'Kelly listed 75 decorated stones on 84 surfaces at Newgrange, a corpus unmatched in detail for any single Irish monument.

Winter solstice access is limited and by lottery; general tours still enter the passage and chamber, where electric lighting replaces the brief solstice sunbeam on most days of the year.

Walking the kerb at Newgrange reveals the scale of Neolithic engineering: stones up to 4.4 metres long, propped in pits and held by packing stones. Decorated examples range from the fully panelled entrance stone to faint cupmarks easy to miss without careful looking.