{"product_id":"sky-and-stone-online-course-november-2026","title":"Sky and Stone – Live Online Course – November 2026","description":"\u003ch2 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReading the Sun, Moon and Stars in Ireland’s Ancient Monuments\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnderstand the winter solstice before it happens.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhy does Newgrange face the midwinter sunrise? What can the passages at Dowth tell us about the moon? Could the builders of Knowth have counted time using lunar cycles?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJoin Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSky and Stone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a four-week live online course exploring astronomical alignments at Irish megalithic sites.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe will bring together landscape, observation, archaeology and mythology to investigate how Ireland’s ancient monuments connect with the sky. Along the way, you will learn how to assess an alignment claim – distinguishing what has been measured, what the astronomy allows and what remains a hypothesis.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDates and times\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWednesdays 4, 11, 18 and 25 November 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e8–10pm Irish time • Live on Zoom\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAttend live and join the discussion, or watch the recordings afterwards.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYour journey through the four evenings\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSession One – Why the Sky Mattered: Reading the Irish Sky\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDiscover the changing paths of the sun and moon, the seasonal turning points and the lunar standstill cycle. We will establish a practical approach to reading a monument’s orientation and begin a simple observation exercise you can try from home.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSession Two – Balor’s Strand: The Boyne’s Edge and the Solstice Sunrise\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExplore the standing stones at Baltray, near the mouth of the Boyne, and their relationship with Rockabill and the winter solstice sunrise. Observation meets landscape and legend as we examine the evidence for an astronomical alignment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSession Three – The Darkening of the Sky: Dowth, the Moon and the Turning Nodes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInvestigate Dowth’s passages, its name and mythology, and the proposed connections with solar and lunar events. We will explore the moon’s longer cycles and consider how they might help us understand this remarkable monument.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSession Four – The Counters of Time: Knowth, the Lunar Months and the Cygnus Enigma\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExamine Knowth’s passage orientations and theories about lunar timekeeping. We will finish by exploring the Cygnus Enigma – a hypothesis linking Newgrange, the swan constellation and the mythology of Óengus and Caer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat’s included\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul data-spread=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFour live online sessions of approximately two hours each.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOpportunities to ask questions and take part in discussion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIllustrated course notes for all four sessions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRecordings of the sessions, with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e12 months’ access\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA practical framework for exploring astronomical alignment claims.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWho is this course for?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnyone curious about Ireland’s ancient monuments and their relationship with the sun, moon and stars.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou do not need to have attended a previous Mythical Ireland course or studied astronomy. We will build the essential ideas together before exploring the evidence and interpretations in greater depth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReturning participants will discover a new perspective on familiar landscapes, with astronomy at the centre of our enquiry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout Anthony Murphy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnthony Murphy is an author, photographer and guide based in the Boyne Valley, and the founder of Mythical Ireland. He is co-author, with Richard Moore, of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIsland of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland’s Ancient Astronomers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis course draws on his years of observing and photographing celestial events at Ireland’s monuments, alongside archaeological surveys, astronomical research and Irish mythological sources.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat previous online course participants say\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFeedback from participants in Anthony’s previous online courses:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Anthony has provided an excellent framework for learning more detail about Ireland's ancient landscape, myths and symbols, key figures and scholarly work.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarianna Dunn – Google review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The bibliography at the end of each lecture allows us to explore 'rabbit holes' on our own. […] It added clarity and tied information together in a comprehensive manner. I highly recommend this course for anyone trying to understand Irish mythology. I look forward to his next sessions.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarilyn Whitney – Google review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook your place\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEarly bird price: €199 until 11:59pm Irish time on Wednesday 21 October 2026.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStandard price afterwards: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e€229\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMythical Ireland patrons save a further €10.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYour booking includes all four evenings, illustrated notes and 12 months’ access to the recordings.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJoin us this November and approach the winter solstice with a deeper understanding of the sky above Ireland’s ancient stones.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mythical Ireland","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57462016868692,"sku":"SKYSTONE-NOV2026","price":199.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0603\/7087\/8620\/files\/Sky_and_Stone_Online_Course_square2.jpg?v=1791389853","url":"https:\/\/mythicalireland.com\/products\/sky-and-stone-online-course-november-2026","provider":"Mythical Ireland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}