Searching for the Sun at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

I headed off bright and early on Friday (Halloween), in the hope of seeing the Samhain sunrise at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery. I say bright, it was actually dark, which should have given me a clue about the sun (or lack of it).

Samhain means Summers End and is also the start of Winter, it falls on November 1st. On this date the sun rises from a ‘saddle’ in the Ballygawley mountains, a low mountain which is an extension of the Ox Mountains. The sun rises directly in line with the direction of the chamber of Listoghil (Tomb 51) at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery.

It’s the first time that I’ve been in the visitor centre since it reopened after it was refurbished this year. It’s a lovely centre, and you can read all about the history of the area before you visit the tombs. Carrowmore is home to the oldest Neolithic tombs in Ireland, they are almost 6,000 years old, which is incredible. It’s older than Newgrange, and it really doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, in my opinion. We are very lucky to have it in Sligo.

The visitor centre at Carrowmore opened early on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, for the sunrise event. We didn’t get a glimpse of the sun on Friday, but it was a lovely morning even without it (the pics above, and at the top of the blog are from another day). I enjoyed hearing Sally, the tour guide, telling us all about it.

The people who visited on Saturday were luckier, they did get to see the sun rising. You can see some photos on their Facebook page.

If you haven’t visited, it’s well worth it. It’s just a short drive from Sligo town, and you will get wonderful views of Benbulben and Knocknarea, and learn a lot about our ancestors. The remaining opening hours for 2025 are 9:30 – 16:30 (Last admission) until November 5th. Opening hours 6 Nov to 3 December: 9:30 – 16:00 (Last admission). You can read more about Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery on the OPW website: https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/carrowmore-megalithic-cemetery/

I hope the powers that be read this blog post, they might consider opening Carrowmore for Imbolc – the start of Spring, when the sun rises in line with Listoghil again.