No solstice sun at Newgrange

Cloudy conditions meant the sun did not shine this year for the Winter Solstice event at the Newgrange Monument.

Simon Harris TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) welcomed the eight winners of the OPW Winter Solstice Lottery to Newgrange this morning.
Their prize granted them access to the Chamber this morning ready to witness the Winter Solstice but unfortunately the sun was obscured by cloud. Nevertheless, all the visitors enjoyed the unique experience of Winter Solstice.
The winners were from the USA, Belgium, England and Ireland. They were joined at the monument by a large group of media and onlookers, all seeking to share in the excitement of this unique event.
Speaking this morning the Minister said: “I am delighted to be here this morning to welcome the eight lucky winners of this very popular OPW Lottery competition. In September, I attended the draw and these lucky winners were chosen by local school children from over 30,000 applications from all around the world. That some of the winners came from as far afield as the USA and Belgium today shows the continuing fascination the Solstice has the world over.”
“2015 was a phenomenal year for overseas tourism”, continued the Minister, “with Tourism Ireland reporting an estimated 7.9 million overseas visitors and a growth of over 16 per cent in overseas revenue to €4.6 billion while the domestic market also continues to grow, with 7.4 million trips recorded by Failte Ireland generating revenue of €1.5 billion in 2014.'