Martin Brennan

Martin Brennan (1942-2023) was an Irish-American author whose research work and books in the 1980's changed how we look at the sophistication of Ireland's Stone Age monuments. Martin challenged conventional opinion about the function of Newgrange, Dowth, Loughcrew and other passage tombs of Ireland and presented overwhelming evidence showing that many of these 5,000 year old monuments were used as astronomical observatories. His books, The Boyne Valley Vision and The Stones of Time, both published in the 1980s, have stood the test of time.

Martin Brennan was born of Irish parents in Brooklyn, New York. He was a student of Pratt Institute, where he majored in Visual Communication. He worked briefly in graphic design before going to Mexico where his interests in prehistoric rock inscriptions, ritual and traditional art developed. He moved to Japan for some years and there the scholar Kimitaro Kitamura urged him to go to Ireland and study ancient Irish culture. He lived in Ireland for ten years, working in graphic design and pursuing his study of megalithic art.

In December 2009 Martin returned to Ireland after a 25 year gap to headline a conference at Newgrange. He revealed fascinating new data from Mexico relating to ancient alignments and the Mayan calendar, and the resonance and synchronicity between his discoveries in Mexico and those he made in Ireland in the 1980s.  More...


Martin Brennan at the 'Boyne Valley Revision' conference at the Newgrange Lodge in December 2009 - photo by Anthony Murphy.

The Boyne Valley Vision by Martin Brennan. Published by The Dolmen Press in 1980.

In this book Martin Brennan presents an entirely new interpretation of these monuments, one which challenges the conclusions of earlier studies and offers conclusive evidence which radically changes our knowledge of megalithic culture in Ireland. The Boyne Valley Vision is a personal step-by-step account of a quest that has resulted in some of the most astounding and profound archaeological decipherments of our time.

Martin Brennan demonstrates in his text and in some ninety drawings and figures from his pen the vision of the universe transmitted by the artists of megalithic Ireland in their designs carved in naked rock. He shows that the ideas expressed by these artists are more substantial than the stones on which they are incised. His study exposes for the first time an entire cosmology, a vocabulary of symbols, the sundials, the calendar and other scientific tools of the oldest culture known to us.  More ...

The Stones of Time - Calendars, Sundials and Stone Chambers of Ancient Ireland by Martin Brennan. First published in 1983 as The Stars and the Stones.

Older than the pyramids and predating Stonehenge by at least a thousand years, the stone complexes of ancient Ireland have been extensively excavated and studied, yet they have refused to give up their mystery. Archaeologists have speculated that the chambers were tombs.

Art historians have tried to interpret the enigmatic designs painstakingly carved into the faces of the stones. But the real function of these ancient structures can be understood only when the art and architecture are seen to be parts of a unified whole.  More ...

Martin Brennan used a different kerbstone numbering system at Knowth to the George Eogan K1 to K127 system. He used a system based around North, South, East and West, see comparison table.

Boyne Valley Private Day Tour

Immerse yourself in the rich heritage and culture of the Boyne Valley with our full-day private tours. Visit Newgrange World Heritage site, explore the Hill of Slane, where Saint Patrick famously lit the Paschal fire. Discover the Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of power for the High Kings of Ireland. Book Now