Free Summer Solstice Event at Beaghmore Stone Circles
Astronomers from the Armagh Observatory and the Irish Astronomical Association (IAA), and archaeologists from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), are joining forces on Thursday 21st June, the summer solstice (BST), for a day of fascinating and participative education and learning activities at Beaghmore Stone Circles, County Tyrone. Read more
The ancient megalithic site of Beaghmore near Cookstown is to become a unique observatory with a day of free BBC Stargazing. Astronomers from Armagh Observatory and archaeologists from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) will be hosting the Stargazing Live Universe Awareness (UNAWE) activities at the fascinating Beaghmore Stone Circles regarded as the best Dark-Sky site in Northern Ireland. The event which will also run at An Creagan is to be held on Wednesday 18th January 2012. Read more
Beaghmore is a complex of early Bronze Age megalithic features, stone circles and cairns, 8.5 miles north west of Cookstown, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, on the south-east edge of the Sperrin Mountains. Some documents suggest that Beaghmore translates into English as 'the moor of the birches' but this is plainly wrong, as there is no Irish word for moor that sounds like the English word moor (the usual word is caorán) - Mackay's Dictionary of Ulster Place-names says that it is from an Bheitheach Mhór, meaning "big place of birch trees"; a name that reflects the fact that the area was a woodland before being cleared by Neolithic farmers. Read more