Brú na Bóinne

Brú na Bóinne is a Neolithic passage-tomb complex in County Meath, Ireland, centred on the River Boyne and renowned for its large passage tombs and prehistoric art. The complex is one of Ireland’s most important archaeological landscapes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The best-known monuments are Newgrange, a large circular mound with a stone-lined passage and inner chamber, Knowth, a multi-mound complex noted for extensive carved megalithic stones, and Dowth, another passage tomb mound. Newgrange’s mound measures roughly 85 metres across and contains a passage aligned to allow sunlight into the chamber at the winter solstice.

The monuments were constructed in the Neolithic period, around 3200 to 3000 BC, by farming communities who created passage tombs and associated ceremonial features. The site has been excavated and studied since the 19th and 20th centuries and remains an important source of information about prehistoric Ireland.

The complex lies in the Boyne valley near the village of Donore and the town of Drogheda in eastern Ireland, within County Meath and reachable by road from Dublin and nearby regional centres.

• Guided access required: Access to the monuments is by guided tour from the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre near Donore; only limited numbers are allowed inside passage tombs each day.
• Winter solstice alignment: Newgrange's passage chamber is aligned so sunrise penetrates the chamber around the winter solstice, illuminating the inner chamber on and around that date.

What to See #

• Newgrange: Newgrange is the largest and best-known passage tomb; the mound is about 85 metres across and has a stone-lined passage leading to an inner chamber.
• Knowth: Knowth is a complex of passage tombs and mounds with an extensive collection of megalithic art on kerbstones and stones around the site.
• Dowth: Dowth is a further passage-tomb mound within the Boyne valley complex, less restored and less visited but part of the same Neolithic ceremonial landscape.