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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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The western passage of Knockroe Passage Tomb is aligned to allow the light of the Winter Solstice to enter it on December 21 Photo: Philip Boucher Hayes
RTE broadcaster and reporter Philip Boucher Hayes has revealed on Twitter that he will be featuring Knockroe Passage Tomb on RTE's Country Wide for the Winter Solstice.
Philip said: "Next Wednesday this passage tomb in Kilkenny will be as perfectly illuminated by the winter solstice sun as Newgrange … but both at sunset and sunrise. I visited today for @RTECountryWide".
Knockroe Passage Tomb also known as the Red Altar, is the most mysterious prehistoric site in Kilkenny. Is is older than the Pyramids of Egypt and some say even older than Stonehenge or Newgrange. To this day modern druids gather at the site to offer worship.
Known locally as the Caiseal, it has two passages on the southern side, as well as an eastern passage and a western passage. The western passage is the one which is aligned to allow the light of the Winter Solstice to enter it on December 21.
As a site for cremations and sacrifices, Knockroe was built by ancient sun worshippers and is richly decorated with Megalithic art depicting the life of the ancient people who created it.
If you can't go in person to Knockroe on December 21 to watch the sun enter the chamber at sunrise, then tuning in to Country Wide will be the next best thing to being there.
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