Raising a glass to the Summer Solstice from Sligo

To some it’s known as the summer equinox, to others it’s the longest day - but to us, Summer Solstice, which falls this year on June 21 is of particular significance.

It’s not just a chance to sip an Irish single malt whiskey whilst enjoying those extra moments of sunlight (although, of course, it’s very much encouraged) - no, it’s also important to us here at the Lough Gill Distillery because of the heritage of the very area we inhabit, and the many megalithic monuments that help to form this area’s rich history.

These monuments provide the backdrop to many Summer Solstice celebrations, so here we explore some of Co. Sligo’s most significant megalithic complexes, and their connections to our distillery.

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice, also sometimes called the June Solstice, is a day recognised in the Northern Hemisphere and it officially marks the start of summer. This year it falls on June 21st, but although it always occurs in June, it doesn’t always take place on the same day each year - this is because the day occurs when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt toward the sun, and this can vary year on year, although only by a day - some years it falls on june 20th, and some years it can fall on June 22nd.

Summer Solstice also means that we experience the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year, in terms of the amount of sunlight hours we get. On this day, the sun reaches its highest point in the sky for the year, and takes longer to rise and set too.

How Summer Solstice is celebrated

Summer Solstice has been observed since as early as the Stone Age, and it’s believed the day was originally recognised during the Neolithic period as a way to mark, and therefore determine when to plant and harvest their crops.

Summer Solstice is celebrated by many cultures and has been for centuries. Pre-Christianity, pagans lit bonfires to welcome midsummer. They believed the heat from the fires would boost the sun’s energy, and encourage a bountiful harvest for the autumn months. They would also light these bonfires in a bid to ward off evil spirits, who they believed to be at their strongest during the solstice.

While some traditions have faded over time, many of the ways the Summer Solstice is celebrated today are reminiscent of their historic roots. It’s still common for bonfires to be lit, garlands to be worn, and for people to gather around megalithic complexes to welcome in the summer. And, these monuments are something we know a little bit about, being located amidst one of the greatest megalithic complexes in Ireland.

Megalithic Monuments

So, what is a megalithic monument? In short, a megalith is a large stone, and generally speaking, the term ‘megalithic monuments’ specifically refers to archaeological structures built during the Neolithic and Bronze ages.
These structures provided a variety of uses, from tombs and caves to passages and even chalk giants, which you can see etched on hillsides.

Perhaps the most well-known megalithic structure in Europe is Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, which is an example of a henge monument, and sees over a million visitors a year flock to its site. While its original purpose is still unknown, it is widely accepted that it is a prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun. As such, it has great significance during the Summer Solstice, where each year huge gatherings take place at the site to observe the sunrise and sunset.

Sligo’s Megalithic Complexes

However, it’s not just Stonehenge that gets all the megalithic glory - Ireland is home to some of the most significant megalithic monuments in the world, and right here in Co. Sligo you’ll find some of the most notable.

Megalithic monuments come in many forms, but the main types found in Ireland are passage tombs, court tombs, portal tombs, and wedge tombs.

Passage tombs, or chamber cairns, are the fascinating megalithic complexes you’ll discover in Co. Sligo and these date back as early as 4,000BC. These monuments contain internal chambers, over which a cairn of stones is constructed to give the impression of a cave. These chambers served as graves, and were built above ground, but often under mounds, or cairns.

carrowkeel, co sligo (image credit: failte ireland)

One of the most significant passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland is Carrowkeel, which is situated atop a series of hills in the Bricklieve mountains. The tomb complex is thought to have originally consisted of 40 chambers, although there are now 14 - each identified by a different letter. Excavation work in the early 20th century saw seven monuments opened, and the remains of 32 people were identified when a mixture of bones and other personal artefacts such as tools and pottery were discovered.

Carrowkeel’s Cairn G is of particular interest, due to its roofbox situated above the entrance. This specially built opening above the doorway was designed in such a way as to align with the Summer and Winter Solstices - at these times, the sun would be directly in view from the chamber. Interestingly, although there is another known roofbox at the Newgrange monument in County Meath, Carrowkeel’s is the only one aligned to the midsummer sunset.  

Another important megalithic complex in Co. Sligo is Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, which is the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland. Not only that, they’re thought to be older than the pyramids in Egypt having been built around 4600-3900 BC.

Originally, there was believed to be more than 100 monuments, but years of amateur archaeology and gravel quarrying means that there are now 30 visible stone tombs, with another 30 located by archaeologists. These are counted along with boulder circles like The Kissing Stone - the most complete stone monument remaining at Carrowmore.

queen maeve’s cairn, knocknarea, co sligo

Knocknarea is the most prominent mountain in Co. Sligo, standing at 327 metres tall, and with far-reaching views across Sligo and beyond. At the summit is one of Ireland’s largest cairns - Queen Maeve’s Cairn, which is believed to conceal a megalithic passage tomb. This cairn is one of the best-preserved of its kind in Ireland and is made up of more than 30,000 tonnes of stone.

Knocknarea’s cairn is impressive at all times of the year, but the Summer and Winter Solstices play particular significance - from here on the equinoxes, viewers can watch the sunrise in the east, over Lough Gill, and at sunset viewers from Carns Hill can watch the sun setting over Knocknarea, aligning with Queen Maeve’s Cairn.

Hazelwood’s Megalithic Heritage

You might be wondering what the significance of Sligo’s megalithic complexes has on us here at the Lough Gill Distillery.

Long before we were making single malt Irish whiskey here, and many centuries before Hazelwood Demesne’s time, this very land was at the centre of a series of cairns. It’s believed that, as the crow flies, there’s a line from Cairns Hill to Knocknarea, and Hazelwood House falls on this line, linking the cairns together.

Hazelwood Demesne sits on the banks of Lough Gill at the foot of the Dartry mountain range which is home to the stories of Fionn & the Fianna, Diarmuid & Grainne, Maeve Queen of Connacht, the Wells of St. Patrick, the Lake of Tears, the Wail of the Banshee and Tír na nÓg. It is nestled in the shadow of Cairns Hill, which, together with Carrowmore, forms part of one of the greatest megalithic complexes of ancient Ireland. It has spiritual significance, being surrounded by seven cairn topped mountains, including Knocknarea, where Queen Maeve, the warrior queen, is reputedly buried, standing facing her enemies, spear in hand.

Whiskey’s Ancient Past

The land has always been special to us, but having these connections to the megalithic complexes and their fascinating history is just one of the reasons why we love being located here, becoming custodians of this estate and its rich past.

Whiskey may not date back quite as far as these monuments, but it still has a local historical significance; the first record of Irish whiskey dates back to 1405, around 90 years before it was first recorded in Scotland. Not only that, but even the word whiskey has Gaelic roots, deriving from the term uisce beatha, meaning ‘water of life.

Our modern approach to making the finest Irish single malt whiskey will always be steeped in tradition, and we’re grateful that we’re able to create this water of life right here in such a significant location, with such an important heritage. In fact, the megalithic monuments and folklore provided the inspiration for our Creation Trilogy of whiskeys, Annacoona, Keshcorran and of course, Knocknarea - named after the monolithic mountain itself.

This Summer Solstice, join us in raising a glass of Athrú as we toast Co. Sligo’s magnificent monuments.