Cairn T sunwheel

A sunwheel engraving from the 'Equinox Stone' at the rear of the chamber of Cairn T (The Hag's Cairn), Loughcrew. This stone receives the light of the sun at the equinoxes. 

This is an old photo, taken around twenty years ago. Hunkered down in the end recess of the chamber, I set up the camera on its tripod and used a flashlight to illuminate the symbols from an oblique angle. I really love this photograph. Sadly, it's a photo that I may not be able to replicate or emulate again. The interior of Cairn T has been locked since 2018, and access is no longer possible. It makes me realised how privileged I was to be able to take many photographs in the chamber of Cairn T over the years.

In the early 1980s, Martin Brennan and Jack Roberts discovered that the light of the rising sun penetrated the opening of the passage of Cairn T and shone directly on to the decorated face of this stone. And there, on its surface, are emblems and icons that appear to be possible depictions of the sun. It was an extraordinary revelation. The ancient builders, in all their wile and cleverness, created a stone monument with a remarkable 'light show' that happened twice a year, when the sun was rising in the east and the days and nights were of equal length.