Free Lectures at Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre

On Wednesday June 11th 2008, Robert Hensey of NUI Galway will present two short lectures at Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre.

The lectures begin at 7.00pm and are free of charge. All are welcome.

The first lecture is entitled When Space and Time Collided: A Ritualistic Perspective on the Beginnings of Astronomical Alignment in Passage Tomb Tradition. This lecture seeks to investigate the origins of one of the best-known aspects of Newgrange: The Winter Solstice alignment. It is an aspect of the 5000-year-old monument that continues to amaze and puzzle us. When did our ancestors get interested in astronomy and why was it so important to them to create these significant alignments?

The second is called Between Salmon and Ceremony: Seasonal Ritual in the Boyne Valley. Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth are all situated within a bend of the river Boyne. If you ask anyone why the Boyne is famous, among the top five answers will be that it is famous as a salmon river. The annual salmon run must have been of great significance to our ancestors living along the Banks of the Boyne. Were there festivals and ritual associated with this annual event celebrating the salmon and the deities who sent them back each year?

Robert Hensey is a PhD student whose research involves a re-examination of the monuments and artefacts of the Irish passage tomb tradition and related ritual monuments of Neolithic Ireland. His work aims to shed light on the kind of ritual activity may have occurred at these locations, and what kind of belief systems may have motivated that behaviour. His is the first study of its kind that is exclusively dedicated to the investigation of ritual practices and belief systems in Neolithic Ireland.

Boyne Valley Private Day Tour

Immerse yourself in the rich heritage and culture of the Boyne Valley with our full-day private tours. Visit Newgrange World Heritage site, explore the Hill of Slane, where Saint Patrick famously lit the Paschal fire. Discover the Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of power for the High Kings of Ireland. Book Now