A Bronze Age stone circle in South Kerry is the focus of events to mark a rare lunar event and the summer solstice.
The Bonane Stone Circle near Kenmare is among only a few ancient sites in the world where the major standstill of the moon is marked.
A lunar standstill is when the moon reaches its furthest north or furthest south point – the last major lunar standstill occurred more than 18 years ago.
The Bonane Stone Circle in the Sheen Valley Heritage Area was carefully designed to align with the most southern rising point of the moon.
The ‘Altar of the Moon’ as it’s known locally was built on the horizon of a nearby mountain some five thousand years ago to mark the major lunar standstill or lunistice which occurs every 18.6 years.
This year the major standstill of the moon takes place tomorrow June 21st and the summer solstice which unusually occurs today, June 20th, because it’s a leap year.
It’s called a standstill because the moon appears to stay in the sky for longer.
The Sheen Valley community has prepared a weekend festival of events to mark the rare lunar event.
Tomorrow evening at 8.30, people will gather at the Bonane Stone Circle to witness the moon rise over the ‘altar’ and a feast will be cooked in the nearby fulacht fiadh, an ancient cooking pit.
Tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock, there will be a gathering at Bonane Heritage Park for the solstice sunrise at the stone circle.
