From: TerryMoselaol.com

Date: 12 June 2010 02:46:35 GMT+01:00

Subject: IAA/UAS Solstice Event, No Dark Energy?

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Hi all,

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1.ƒŠIRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION / ULSTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY / EHSƒŠSOLSTICE EVENT, SATURDAY 19 JUNE. The IAA + UAS,ƒŠin conjunction with the Environment and Heritage Service,ƒŠwill be holding another joint event to mark the summer solstice, with a visit to Ballynoe Stone Circle, near Downpatrick, Co Down. This is the largest and most impressive and complexƒŠstone circle in Northern Ireland, and one of the biggest in Ireland, and mayƒŠwell have a winter solstice sunset alignment.

See, for example: http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/270/ballynoe_stone_circle.htmƒŠand http://www.megalithicireland.com/ƒŠand http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1048/ballynoe.html

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ƒŠ We will visit the stone circle (SC)ƒŠat 14.00, where there will be talks about the archaeology and possible astronomical connections, and then adjourn to the nearby beach at Minerstown for a BBQ/picnic. In the case of bad weather, there are twoƒŠlocal pubs for refreshments.

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DIRECTIONS:ƒŠBallynoe Stone CircleƒŠis on Ballynoe Road, which runs SSW from Downpatrick towards Dundrum Bay. It's aboutƒŠ2.5 miles from Downpatrick, at Map Ref:J481404

ƒŠƒŠ From Downpatrick, there are two possible routes:

1. take the B 176 towards Killough, and turn right at the well-knownƒŠFLYING HORSE Inn just on the S outskirts of the town. Then take the firstƒŠleft, in about 300ƒŠyds, onto Ballynoe Road. Proceed along that road for about 1.5 miles until you come to the crossroads with The Castle Inn pubƒŠon your right. Proceed onƒŠthrough the cross roadsƒŠand in about 200 yds you'll see theƒŠsmall brown 'Tourist'ƒŠsign for Ballynoe SC. Or

2. Take the main A25 from Downpatrick towards Clough and Newcastle etc. Turn left at the firstƒŠcrossroadsƒŠafter Downpatrick Racecourse (which is on your left) - it's about 1 mile past the Racecourse. This will take you into Bonecastle Road. Go across the first crossroads, then turn left at an angled T-Junction. In about 400 yards you will come to the crossroads with the Castle Inn pub on your left. Turn right at this cross roads onto Ballynoe Road, and in about 200 yds you'll see theƒŠsmall brown 'Tourist'ƒŠsign for Ballynoe SC.

ƒŠƒŠ IF APPROACHING FROM CLOUGH (on the main Belfast - Newcastle Road) take the A 25 from Clough towards Downpatrick and turn right atƒŠthe crossroads about 4 miles from Clough (it's the first proper crossroads you come to on that road) into Bonecastle Road, then proceed as for '2' above.

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PARKING:ƒŠ There is limited parking at the roadside at the entrance to the SC, but if there isn't enough room there, more parking is available a bit further out along Ballynoe Road at a small group of houses, within easy walking distance.

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ACCESS:ƒŠThe SC is about 1/3 mile (1/2 km) off the road along an unpaved path, and requires negotiation of an 'up and round'ƒŠstile, so this visit would not be suitable for anyone with anythingƒŠmore than slight mobility problems. Also the site is quite exposed, with no shelter, so bring clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather. But if the weather is good, it's a fabulous spot!

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ƒŠBALLYNOE S/C: The Circle is unique among Irish SCs (as far as I know), because of the large internal, oval, off-centre raised cairn surrounded by its own small kerb stones, and also because of the complex of what I call 'entrance stones', which are quite large, and form a sort of portal. But the archaeologists can give a better explanation than I can. There are also more large outlying stones than I have seen at any stone circle in Ireland, which is another distinguishing feature.

ƒŠƒŠ Some websites also refer to a large stone with prominent 'cup-marks', but I will provide an alternative explanation!

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ASTRONOMICAL CONNECTION?ƒŠ The astronomical connection seems to be that at midwinter solstice, the sun sets (or used to 3,000 - 4,000 years ago) from the SC in the very prominent notch formed by the gap between Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh, the two highest mountainsƒŠin the Mourne Mountains across Dundrum BayƒŠ(as for Drombeg Circle in Co Cork: see http://www.megalithics.com/ireland/drombeg/drbgmain.htm). ThisƒŠprovides a very accurate way to measure the exact date of the solstice.ƒŠThere may be other alignments too - all waiting to be discovered!

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PICNIC/BBQ AFTERWARDS:ƒŠ Afterwards, unless it's raining, we will proceed to the seashore at Dundrum Bay for a picnic/BBQ: there are two parking lay-bys at the roadside just beside Minerstown Beach, about 1m East of Minerstown CaravanƒŠSite,ƒŠat MR: J505361. There are no picnic tables, so bring a folding table and chair, or at least a waterproof-backed rug to sit on the ground. I will provide maps on the day to enable you to find your way there, but basically you just go to the main A2 Coast Road, 1m East of the Caravan Park. (You can bring a snack to the Stone Circle with you, but because of the distance, you wouldn't want to carry very much! Also, we don't want ANY litter at the site, and we certainly do not want any barbecues there!)

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CONSUMABLES: Bring your own! Bring your own food, drink, plates, cutlery, cups, glasses etc, and if you want to BBQ, bring your own portable or disposable one. And matches or a lighter, and BBQ tongs etc.

ƒŠƒŠ (BTW, do NOT believe the fanciful and totally erroneous explanation given for the origin of the word 'barbecue' on the Alan Simpson Show on Radio Ulster last week! He claimed that it came from the French words for 'beard' and 'tail', but it's actually from a Spanish word, 'barbacoa', originally from Haitian, meaning a framework of posts and sticks on which animals were roasted. This is confirmed by both the Shorter andƒŠConcise Oxford Dictionaries, and Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary,ƒŠall highly authoritative sources.)

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PLAN B: If it's wet, there are two pubs fairly nearby: The Castle Inn, on Ballynoe Road, at Ballynoe Cross Roads, just 200 yds from the entrance to the SC, and the Ramble Inn, at Corbally, about 2m to the West.

ƒŠƒŠ Please let me know if you intend to go, so we can get some idea of likely numbersƒŠ(there's no charge, BTW)

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ƒŠ2. NO NEED FOR 'DARK ENERGY'? I've always had my doubts about 'Dark Energy', which I'm sure many of you have heard me express on various occasions! It seems too much of an ad-hoc hypothesis, almost reminding me of the Ptolemaic System's ever increasing complex system of cycles, epicycles and deferents.

ƒŠƒŠ Now,ƒŠƒŠnew research by astronomers in the Physics Department at Durham University has thrown doubt on the present version of the 'Standard Model' of the universe, in which about 75% of the total is comprised of so-called dark energy, which is supposed to be making the expansion rate of the universe speed up, instead of slow down.

ƒŠƒŠ I can't say more just yet, but watch this space!

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Clear Skies,

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Terry Moseley