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Return to Co. Armagh list |
Go to my Homepage |
Go to Prehistoric Alignments & Dials |
Go to Ancient Monastic Dials |
Go to Medieval Dials |
Go to Modern (1600+) Dials |
Go to Sundial Info.and Books |
 Oxford Island |
Human sundial at Oxford Island |
The 113 hectare Oxford Island National Nature Reserve is in fact not an island
but a peninsula, located on the south shore of Lough Neagh. Visitors can
explore a range of habitats from such as reed beds, open water, wildlife ponds
and wildflower meadows. The site, a haven for wildlife, has a number of
facilities including a network of trails, birdwatching hides, the Kinnego
Marina, Waterside House and the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre. The sundial at Oxford Island was developed and installed by the Interpretive team based at the Centre. It is an 'Analemmatic' or 'Human' Sundial where the shadow of the person indicates the time. There are 16 upright 'hour' stones in all created by local stone carver Jonny Kerr. Each is inscribed on the sloping top with an Arabic numeral to indicate the time. One side of the stones shows water-based animals backed by the Lough. The other side shows land-based animals, backed by the woods. Visitors using the sundial stand on the correct date, with their feet either side of the central date line. They then raise their arms over their head with their hands together and their shadow points to the time. Terry Moseley of the Irish Astronomical Society did the shadow angle calculations and the Craigavon Council Conservation Team did the site work. |