Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Megalithic tomb - passage tomb
Newgrange, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Newgrange
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- Latest-edition OS map
- Newgrange Tumulus
- Coordinates
- 53.69473, -6.47554
- SMR number
- ME019-045----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1799 "Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
The great mound of Newgrange, 85m in max. dim. and 11m H, is delimited by a megalithic kerb. It covers a cruciform passage-tomb, 24m long, opening to SE. The chamber is roofed with a fine corbelled vault. There are two stone basins in NE recess; the others contain single basins. The 'roof box' above, some 2.4m back from the passage entrance, permits rays of the rising sun at midwinter solstice to penetrate to the chamber. Many of the kerb stones and a great number of the structural stones of the passage and chamber bear megalighic art. A circle of standing stones (ME019-045005-) surrounds the mound, and three small passage-tombs (ME019-046001-, ME019-046003--, ME019-044004-) are in close proximity to it. The monument was excavated between 1962 and 1975 (O'Kelly 1982).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 10 July 2007
References
O'Kelly, M.J. 1982 Newgrange: archaeology, art and legend. London. Thames and Hudson.
Nearby in the register
- Stone circleunder 1 mi
- Ceremonial stone settingunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Habitation siteunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.