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Ireland\'s most famous prehistoric site
Newgrange is an ancient tomb (a "passage tomb" due to the narrow tunnel) in the archaeological site of Brú na Bóinne north of Dublin. It is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world and a very important place for the Irish. There is a guided tour which also takes a limited number of people inside the tomb itself. Inside, you walk down a very low hallway and the guide explains that there were three graves, one for a family and the others for adults. It is amazing how it has built so many years ago when nobody knew much about architecture and physics. Like the pyramids of Egypt, it's something of a miracle.
One interesting fact is that sunlight enters the tomb for a few minutes during the winter solstice every year. It is believed that they thought the sun took the souls of the dead, thereby ensuring a good harvest in the year to come. If you don't visit on the solstice, don't worry...the guide turns off all the lights and recreates the spectacle with artificial lights. 100 happy people selected by a raffle can see the spectacle in real life from December 18th to 22nd every year. Over 35,000 people have applied in previous years.
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