Breacadh an Lae, ‘The Break Of Day’, is a pendant by Brian de Staic who’s inspiration has a truly ancient lineage. The piece is based on the winter solstice at Newgrange where, at the break of day, the rising sun illuminates the central chamber of the 5,000 year old Neolithic wonder.
Older than the great pyramids in Egypt, the impressive dome structure’s precision when capturing the solstice sunrise is a feat of astronomical ancient engineering. So much so that Newgrange is one of Ireland’s two listed UNESCO world heritage sites.
The ancient wonder of the solstice at Newgrange is so coveted that a mere ten visitors are selected from a draw for each day of the solstice yearly. While the breath taking sunrise in the burial chamber is only seen by a lucky few each year, that break of day continues to inspire Irish craftsmen 5,000 years down the line.
