MB was back home in recent days, having spent Christmas holiday in the Middle East for various reasons. MB left a cold winter desert climate behind and fell into the Irish version, which wasn’t altogether much different. Blue skies, cold crisp air and occasional damp.

MB did his usual family stuff and touring daily around the HX locality. He had passed the Grange Stone Circle a number of times already when it caught his eye once more. Time to visit the circle again, thought MB, as he had missed it on the last two or three visits home.

The Grange Stone Circle is the largest diameter circle in Ireland and is approximately 20 minutes drive from Limerick city. It’s approx 4,500 years old, older than the Cairo Pyramids as the locals like to boast. There’s a smaller circle in the adjoining field, and maps for the 1800s show the largest circle of three in the field across the road. That largest circle no longer exists, nobody knows when it disappeared, maybe removed for agriculture reasons or maybe to break up the stones to make stone houses.

What’s the purpose of the stone circle? And astronomical alignments? Anything at all?

The circle gets large number of predawn visitors on the Summer & Winter solstice pre-dawn mornings, and MB has been amongst their numbers on a few occasions. Many believe that there is some relevance or alignment or connections between the stones and these calendar/lunar dates. The Heritage Ireland website states that the circle entrance is aligned with sunset on the Irish Festival of Samhain (Gaelic word, pronounced ‘SOW-AN’ in English) or Halloween in the rest of the world. Archaeological excavations have revealed animal bones, shards of pottery, and even some coins from Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers who camped in the circle overnight before attacking Limerick City on the following day.

MB does not agree with the Samhain sunset alignment theory and doesn’t believe in any celestial connection, having photographed the circle at many times of the year. The circle itself and the embankment outside the circle, are both at a higher level than the adjoining field; the embankment being maybe 2 to 3 feet higher than the floor of the circle. One can stand on the embankment and look ‘down’ into the circle. So its likely that the circle was used for some sort of spectacle, such as sacrifice, or competition. The discovery of many animal bones within the excavations is proof of animal sacrifice, according to the archeology experts. MB is aware of one Psychic from the US who visited the circle many years back and fell into a trance in the presence of a local guide. When she came to, she informed the guide and fellow tour members that she had witnessed human sacrifice from many thousands of years back during her trance state. No human bones have ever been discovered so the jury’s out on that theory, for the moment at least.

MB’s visit of the last week or so occurred shortly after the Winter Solstice of 21 December. The tradition is to leave some gifts for the spirits on the stones, or tied to the nearby trees, on such occasions. Coins, fruit and even small kids toys were still evident during MB’s visit.

The circle is adjacent to Lough Gur lake, only a few hundred meters away, which is a place of much folklore and history. If interested, check out http://www.loughgur.com. A little off the beaten Irish tourist track, but well worth a visit if you’re ever in the Emerald Isle.

Safe travels!