The solstice sun in Newgrange ( O , Brien , 2014 , Irish Times )
We have turned the solstice into our annual June biking weekend , and the ideal accompaniment to the long weekend is to set it around prehistoric monuments that are , in some way , connected with the solstice as an event ; even though I enjoy a trip with no destination , having a purpose gives the trip more meaning .
The Summer Solstice had long been a target of mine for a bike trip away , it holds in my psyche some romanticism and mysticism , I think the idea that I can say , years from now , that I went away on a motorbike trip to sites across Ireland to feel the vibe of the whole event is one that I wanted to fulfil . The reality is that many of the hippies and mystics that flock to various sites do so in error ; e . g ., Newgrange ( like Stonehenge ) is aligned for the winter solstice , not the summer and the Mound of Hostages at the Hill of Tara aligned with the midpoints between vernal and autumnal equinox . But does it really matter ? I don ’ t think so : any trip is more about riding my bike and an experience ‘ in the round ’, rather than focusing on historical accuracy .
We left Belfast on a variety of bikes : a BMW R80RT , a BMW R100 ( GS / RT ) and my Triumph Tiger . We were leaving late , but with the longest day approaching the sun was stubbornly refusing to go down completely . The journey south would be a swift one on main roads , but they were enjoyably quiet , and as we approached the new motorway skirting Newry , the mountains rose from the landscape to semi-enclose the route ; Slieve Gullion on the right before the road cuts through Drumad Wood [ s ].
As we continued on the motorway towards Dundalk , the sun was failing to set to our right , it was hypnotic in hues of purple and deep red , which were a long colourful streak in my peripheral vision . Our destination was one we had been to before ; Newgrange Lodge in Co . Meath .