What to do with Loughcrew... ‘Cairns must be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage sites list’

VIEW FROM AFAR - ROBIN EDGAR, RESEARCHER, MONTREAL, CANADA

Robin Edgar, who is based in Montreal, Canada, has been researching how eclipses influenced ancient humanity's religious beliefs for many years and says the Equinox Stone in Loughcrew represents some of the oldest known representations of solar eclipses. He wants to see Loughcrew added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.

"I've been concerned about the deterioration and neglect of the Neolithic rock art in Loughcrew's Cairn T for several years. 'The Equinox Stone', and other Loughcrew rock art, displays some of the oldest representations of solar eclipses I know of. I've been researching how eclipses influenced ancient humanity's religious beliefs and symbolism since noticing the similarity of a total solar eclipse to the pupil and iris of an 'eye of God' in May 1992.

"I identified the rayed sun symbols, indeed 'compound eye-sun symbols', carved into Dowth's 'Stone of the Seven Suns' as accurate depictions of a total solar eclipse in 1994. In the early 2000s, Paul Griffin independently identified overlapping concentric circles on an orthostat in Loughcrew's Cairn L as a depiction of a partial solar eclipse that he believed to be the 3,340 solar eclipses, which was a total eclipses to the south of Loughcrew. It was total above Knockroe & Stonehenge.

"I believe the flower-like symbols on Loughcrew's 'Equinox Stone' are inspired by the flower-like appearance of most total solar eclipses. There is also a solar cross symbol, simple rayed sun symbols, and possible 'solar boat' symbols.

"I shared my concerns about the neglect of Loughcrew's Cairn T with Malcom Noonan TD in a Facebook comment on January 17th. He thanked me and asked me to send him an email so he may act on my concerns. I will be following-up, and I hope the Loughcrew cairns will be added to UNESCO's World Heritage sites list soon."