Island of the Setting Sun / Mythical Ireland news February 2009

Hello again to everyone and greetings in this the season of Imbolc. I hope those of you in the northern hemisphere have started to notice a "stretch in the evenings" as we say here in Ireland. From now until Bealtaine, 1st May, you should notice a good weekly increase in the amount of daylight, with the sun's setting position on the horizon moving quickest at the time of Spring Equinox in March.


PHOTO OF THE MONTH:

I've added a new Photo of the Month for February showing snow-covered Cooley Mountains, taken this morning at Blackrock, County Louth.

http://www.mythicalireland.com/photos/photo-of-the-month.php

IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC:

I've added a brand new section to the website featuring Irish and Celtic music by contemporary artists. I hope to build this section up as time goes on.

http://www.mythicalireland.com/irish-celtic-music/music.php

NEW BLOG FOR ISLAND OF THE SETTING SUN:

Our book, Island of the Setting Sun, continues to be displayed prominently on bookshelves all over Ireland and further afield. We've set up a new BlogSpot page to feature more news and updates relating to Island of the Setting Sun.

http://islandofthesettingsun.blogspot.com/

MYTHIC LINKS:

The Mythic Links group has a fantastic new website. It is beautifully designed and features lots of stunning imagery.

http://www.mythiclinks.com/index.php

BREMORE DEVELOPMENT:

The Bremore passage-tombs have been saved by a decision to move proposed deep water port infrastructure to a different location. This has been welcomed as a vindication for the pro-heritage lobby.

http://mythicalireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=537

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES:

Don't forget if you want to find out what's happening in Ireland, we have a new events and activities section which details upcoming events related to the subjects explored on Mythical Ireland. The latest item is the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society's outings list for 2009.

http://mythicalireland.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=16

NEW FORUM:

Our new-look Forum is now secure from the spam registrations which had plagued it. I would invite you all to register (it's easy and takes seconds) and join in the discussions which are many and varied.

http://mythicalireland.com/forum/index.php


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Kind regards,
Anthony Murphy

Island of the Setting Sun inspires Brass Band composition

A Drogheda-born composer, Richard Rock, has created a piece for Brass Band called "Island of the Setting Sun", named after our book. The piece, which is 6 minutes long, was premiered in Britain by the Salford University Brass Band conducted by Howard Evans. The piece was inspired by the book, and features composer's notes which were compiled with the assistance of Anthony Murphy. Richard Rock plays tenor horn with the famous Yorkshire Building Society Band.

To see some of the score, click this link.

To hear a quick clip of the piece, click here.

Island of the Setting Sun for Brass Band is published by OffBeat Music Publishing. Click here for more details.

Welcome to the Island of the Setting Sun

Island of the Setting Sun is another title for Ireland, given to it, according to legend, by Amergin Glúngeal, the leader of the Milesians who came to take the island from the ruling Tuatha Dé Danann around 1700BC. As he stepped onto the shore of Inbher Colpa, the Boyne Estuary, Amergin said, "Who but I knows the place where the sun sets? Who but I knows the ages of the moon? What land is better than this island of the setting sun?"

'Island of the Setting Sun - In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers' is the title of our book investigating the astronomical alignments and the cosmic undertones of Irish megalithic monuments and its myths. The book sold out after just one year and is currently on its second edition. Many people have commented on the breadth of the book and the wonderful journey it takes the reader on through history and myth.

We hope you enjoy this Blog. But if you would like more information about the book, along with hundreds of pages of information and thousands of photos relating to Ireland's ancient monuments, its myths and all the astronomical implications, then visit our long-established and hugely successful website, www.mythicalireland.com