Graph demonstrating the movement (caused by leap shifting) of the exact moment of the summer solstice between 1750 and 2250. Because the days around the Winter Solstice are so short, the sunset should be in the mid afternoon.There are several good walks in the Mourne Mountains, are easily accessible from Belfast. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill / The Irish Times Come along and welcome the first day of summer as the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky. Armed with a Masters Degree in Tourism Marketing and a love of writing and photography, she is Wilderness Ireland's Marketing Executive since 2017.”Be the first to hear about new trips, locations and activities with our monthly newsletterWe use cookies to ensure you have an exceptional browsing experience on our website. The skies above Ireland’s iconic terrain can paint a beautifully memorable picture if caught at the right moment through a tradition that has lasted for thousands of years. In Ireland, the Summer Solstice takes place on or around June 21st, with the solstice effect often visible for 2-3 days on either side of the actual date, and marks the longest day of the year. The tradition still This year, Summer Solstice falls on Saturday, 20 June, at 22:43. In ancient pagan times in Ireland, the summer solstice symbolised that the power of the sun was at its highest and was believed to be a sacred time. How about some Irish dancing lessons or music lessons?Across the United States and Ireland, there are different events dedicated to Summer Solstice that encompass a variety of cultures and different ways of celebrating the day.Become a Friend of IrishCentral - help us to continue bringing Ireland to you“No Irish Need Apply” signs existed despite denials, high schooler provesTraditional Irish cod fish cakes recipe from an Irish American MomCoronavirus live updates: Rep of Ireland sees highest daily figure of cases since MayChurchill wanted Irish bombed from the air, refused Michael Collins' pleaHappy 75th Birthday to Van Morrison! Front from left; Brian Cunning, Lisa Dunne, Caroline Jeffrey and Lorna Evers at the Summer solstice celebrations on the Hill of Tara, Co. Meath. Access to this experience, though, isn’t easy: visitors must win their space through a lottery that takes place months before the solstice in September, with thousands of competitors trying for just 50 spots.Those who aren’t feeling lucky with the Newgrange lottery can also mark other ancient destinations such as the Drombeg Stone Circle of the Baltray Standing Stones as potential winter solstice destinations. Incredibly, during the Winter Solstice, the sun is directly placed between the stones and the nearby island of Rockabill.If you’ve got your heart set on witnessing the Winter Solstice from within a passage tomb, head to Co Armagh to climb the hill of Do be sure you’re ready for a hike – the passage tomb of Slieve Gullion is the highest surviving passage tomb in Ireland, and sometimes called the Calliagh Beara’s House (learn more about the In many ways, the Summer and Winter Solstices offer a unique experience that brings together several aspects of what makes Ireland so special: its natural beauty, fascinating history, rich folklore and legends, and an overwhelming sense of community. Phone: 087 2611498, 087 8453058. The Winter Solstice takes place on or around December 21st, and marks the shortest day of the year. For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill / The Irish TimesBetween rain showers a quick burst of light begins to illuminate the standing stones at Sunrise during the summer solstice at Drombeg Stone Circle outside Glandore, County Cork, Ireland. We might not know a lot about them and their customs, beliefs and rituals, but we can certainly appreciate the same sun to which they devoted their monuments. This marks the start of the ‘dark’ half of the year, when the nights start to be longer than the day.New trips, locations and activities right to your inbox.“American by birth but European in spirit, Dawn has called the US, Costa Rica, Spain, England, Poland, France and now Ireland home over the years. It is a bright and sunny Friday morning across most of the country for the 2019 summer solstice. Summer solstice celebrations on the Hill of Tara, Co. Meath.