Irish Astronomical Society January Talk

Our first talk of 2007 is about an ancient Irish megalithic, astronomical wonder, we hope you come along if you are in Dublin on Monday.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical Society 1937 - 2007
www.irishastrosoc.org
soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
www.sketchthesky.com/

Hi deirdre have you seen anthony murphy and richard moors book island of the setting sun, in search of irelands ancient astronmers ,terrific book. The two lads live in drogheda and have spent the last 8 years researching the book it was released just before christmas and its a must for anyone interested in ancient astronomny you will find more information about it on anthonys web site www.mythicalireland.com/ which by the way is an excellent site as well.

Hi deirdre have you seen anthony murphy and richard moors book island of the setting sun, in search of irelands ancient astronmers ,terrific book.

Listend to Anthonys talk at Whirlpool(Cosmos perhaps?) and briefly skimmed the book. Its looks interesting and is an area worthy of study, but very little evidence presented for what they propose and a lot of it is speculation. Eg. Quartz on newgrange represents the milky way, that people 5000 years ago took the modern constellation of cygnus to be a swan also.

Yes I have seen it and did a bit of promoting for it, as I feel it is very a very interesting subject and Anthony has a very interesting angle on it.

Thanks

Deirdre Kelleghan
irishastrosoc.org

soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
www.sketchthesky.com/

Hi deirdre have you seen anthony murphy and richard moors book island of the setting sun, in search of irelands ancient astronmers ,terrific book.

Listend to Anthonys talk at Whirlpool(Cosmos perhaps?) and briefly skimmed the book.

Yep, Cosmos...

but very little evidence presented for what they propose and a lot of it is speculation.

As one of the co-authors of the above mentioned book, I would have to take considerable issue with your statement. While there is some speculation, there is plenty of evidence. Perhaps in "skimming" the book, you did not take ample time to better consider the evidence presented before making such an unfair judgement?

In the case of the Cygnus enigma, there is evidence from ornithologists, from mythology, from the design of Newgrange, from the layout of Newgrange and Fourknocks together, and from the position of the Cygnus constellation at the time they were built which supports the theory. OK, it's still a theory, but it combines myth, archaeology and astronomy and the astronomy SUPPORTS the estimated date of construction for these sites. Island of the Setting Sun is very heavily referenced and relies heavily on academic sources. I do not wish to cause offence, but merely to suggest that such a sweeping statement as the one quoted at the top of this reply is, perhaps, jumping the gun.