Centenary of man who discovered Newgrange light box

Professor MJ O'Kelly excavated at Newgrange from 1962 until 1975. Widely respected as a teacher, writer and archaeologist, he was Professor of Archaeology at University College Cork from 1946 until his death in 1982.

M J O'Kelly was born in 1915 and in this the centenary of his birth, Dr Elizabeth Shee Twohig remembers the man and his achievements in a lecture to be presented in Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre near Donore on Sunday December 6th at 3.00pm.

Michael J OʼKelly was the father of ʻNew archaeologyʼ in Ireland. He was the first Irish archaeologist to incorporate specialist studies like dental, bone, mollusc and pollen analysis into his excavation strategy. He also produced the first scientific dates for Newgrange (c3,200BC) using the then relatively new technique of Radiocarbon dating.

In 1963, Professor O’Kelly rediscovered the roof box at Newgrange during excavations. It is a small opening above the entrance that had been blocked up before he started work on the site. He found that the Neolithic builders of the monument had placed the roof box so that sunlight could enter the chamber at dawn at the Winter Solstice.

On December 21st 1967, he was the first person in millennia to see the light of the rising sun illuminate the inner chamber of the 5,000-year-old tomb. He recorded; ‘the effect is very dramatic as the direct light of the sun brightens and cast a glow of light all over the chamber. I can see parts of the roof and a reflected light shines right back into the back of the end chamber’

Almost fifty years later, the Winter Solstice at Newgrange is a huge event. It attracts attention from all over the world and the lottery for places to be in the chamber during Solstice 2015 attracted 30, 452 entries.

Admission to 'Newgrange Excavator: remembering Prof M J O'Kelly in the centenary of his birth' by Dr Elizabeth Shee Twohig on Dec 6th is free of charge. All are welcome.