As light goes in, shadow falls

“Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun. Above the entrance to the passage, there is an opening called a roof-box. Its purpose is to allow sunlight to penetrate the chamber on the winter solstice. A narrow beam of light enters the roof-box and reaches the floor of the chamber gradually extending to the rear of the chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens within the chamber so that the whole room becomes dramatically illuminated. This event lasts for 17 minutes”

The surroundings blurred into light and shadows. The darkening shadows sharpened as the feature of the light shines across the cavity of the Newgrange, Ireland.

Once inside the tomb, it’s pitch black. This is a narrow passage that is not meant for claustrophobic.

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows – St. Francis of Assisi

 

In faith, there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t. — Blaise Pascal, quoted in Thoughts from Earth (2004), p. 9.

When you are old and grey and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this book, and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep. How many loved your moments of glad grace, and loved your beauty with love false or true, but one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, and loved the sorrows of your changing face; and bending down beside the glowing bars, murmur, a little sadly how love fled And paced among the mountains overhead and hid his face amid a crowd of stars. — 1891 ‘WhenYou Are Old’, complete poem. Collected in The Rose (1893).

Note: these shots are copies of the old photo album of my travel to Ireland.