Merry Christmas

On behalf of us all at Smarmore Castle I would like to wish everyone who is visiting our blog a very happy Christmas. The castle is closing for guests today (Christmas Eve) and will be re-opening again on January 12th.

Newgrange Solstice

The solstice is nearly upon us. We would like to thank John from Lookaroundireland for sending us a virtual tour that he took outside Newgrange on the morning of the winter solstice last year.

Unfortunately there are only a lucky few allowed to be in the actual tomb on the morning of December 21st to witness the spectacular illumination. Applications must be made years in advance with final places depending on the luck of the draw. If you cannot get to Newgrange personally then check out some of the virtual tours that John has on his site.

The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre is the starting point for tours of the megalithic passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth. These monuments along with another tomb at nearby Dowth were built over 5000 years ago and are older than the pyramids No one knows the exact reason for their construction but most theories suggest an association with ancient religious and funeral ceremonies. Newgrange is famous for the illumination of its inner chamber that takes place briefly on the Winter solstice (the shortest day of the year). UNESCO designated the Brú na Bóinne complex as a World Heritage site in 1993 and describes it as “Europe's largest and most important concentration of prehistoric megalithic art” .The Brú na Bóinne Visitor centre attracts in excess of 230,000 visitors annually. It is best to try and visit early in the mornings and avoid weekends if possible as the site gets busy during the main holiday season.

Winter solstice at Newgrange

It really felt like winter this week. The temperature plummeted, mornings were dark and we had frost, sleet and rain to face down nearly every day. There is some good news though. Next Sunday (December 21st) is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. From then on the days start to lengthen and before we know it spring will be here.
The winter solstice is particularly special in this part of the world because of its significance at Newgrange, which is only about 15 miles from Smarmore Castle. On the morning of the solstice (and a few days around it) lights enters the tomb for a short period of time as the sun rises. It does not happen at any other times of the year.

Big guns firing at Millmount

One of the most striking sites in Drogheda is the Martello Tower at Millmount which overlooks the town. This year is the 200th anniversary of its construction and to mark the occasion the Old Drogheda Society has organised a series of special events this weekend.

On Saturday December 13th, the two new cannons at the Tower will be fired for the first time. The Mayor of Drogheda Cllr Frank Maher will also open a new Military Exhibition. A new book entitled “A Tower of Strength” which is a history of Millmount will be launched by its author Brendan Matthews.

We would like to wish Betty, Liam and all the team at Millmount the best of luck with the events.

No more leisure club news!

Some bad news (and good news).
The bad news. - No it’s not the economy. After many happy months bringing you the news from the castle and leisure club I’m sad to report that you will no longer be able to get your weekly slice of leisure club happenings here any more.
The good news - The leisure club is getting its own brand new blog. From today you can catch up on all things leisure and fitness related at Smarmore Castle Leisure Club’s blog. The blog is still something of a work in progress but it will soon be the leading leisure club blog in the country. Watch that space (and then come back to check out what is happening in the world of Ireland’s best boutique castle.