Dronehenge: The Story Behind the Remarkable Discovery at Newgrange

by Anthony Murphy

In July 2018, Anthony Murphy and Ken Williams discovered a giant, previously unknown monument close to Newgrange while flying their drones over the Boyne Valley. They found what archaeologists believe to be a Late Neolithic henge monument, measuring 154 metres (just over 500 feet) in diameter, with a number of mysterious and intriguing features. Their discoveries became an internet and media sensation and made headlines all around the world. In the days, weeks and months that followed, there was intense interest in these gigantic relics of the prehistoric world. Archaeologists pored over the drone imagery and the National Monuments Service conducted its own helicopter flights over Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site to capture the features in more detail. In Dronehenge, Anthony Murphy tells the story of the remarkable discovery of this monument, and attempts to unravel some of its mysteries. Anthony describes the events that followed the first social media post about the discovery and how he spent three weeks doing little else but taking phone calls, answering emails and engaging in Skype interviews with media all around the world. Beautifully illustrated, Dronehenge includes discussion of how this monument might have been constructed and what it could have been used for, and includes 3D models of its possible appearance. Anthony explains how the henge and other features discovered completely change our view of the Brú na Bóinne landscape. These monuments will be studied by archaeologists and historians for many years to come.

Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2021

About the author

I am a journalist, author and photographer living in Drogheda, Ireland, with my wife Ann and our five children. I live four miles from Newgrange, a 5,000-year-old stone monument in the Boyne Valley. My exploration of the valley over the past 19 years has led been a huge influence in my work, both non-fiction and fiction.

I am the author (with artist Richard Moore)of 'Island of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers' (Liffey Press, 2006, 2008). I wrote 'Newgrange: Monument to Immortality' (Liffey Press, 2012). I contributed to 'The Mythology of Venus', an international collaboration edited by Helen Benigni and featuring a foreword by Morgan Llywelyn. My latest work of non-fiction is called 'Mythical Ireland: New Light on the Ancient Past'.

My first work of fiction was a novella, 'Land of the Ever-Living Ones'. My second work of fiction is a short novel called 'The Cry of the Sebac'.

I am the former Editor of the Drogheda Leader newspaper and was also Editor of the Dundalk Democrat newspaper. I currently work as a sub editor and graphic designer for the Irish Farmers Journal and The Irish Field newspapers.

Reviews

[linda murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a fascination with Stonehenge since I was a kid and had never heard of “Donehenge” at Newgrange, Ireland. After watching a show about it on tv I had to know more. Unlike Stonehenge, the sites in Ireland were not easily recognizable as they just looked like mounds in fields. Animals grazed on them, etc until around the 19th century when some anomaly’s were noticed, and these sites started to be uncovered. With an uncanny ability to align a window with the summer solstice ancient people created these mounds and decorated them inside. It’s a very fascinating story and turns out there are several mounds!