The Grand Drawing In

Today is 2025-12-09, the sun sets at 16:06:11 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 00 mins and 28 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

It might only be 44s, but still much appreciated😊

Grianstad 2025 Sunday, 21 December, Winter Solstice Sunset, Everywhere.

Register for free tickets to Grianstad 2025, an immersive solstice audio experience.

Sunday December 21st, sunset, wherever you are.

In Ireland 🇮🇪, it's commonly referred to as "The Grand Stretch"!!

Tomorrow it'll be 28 seconds, then 15, then 6, then 1 second and then ... *poof* ... all gone!

On Sunday, though ... #TheGrandStretchIsBack!

Today is 2025-12-08, the sun sets at 16:06:27 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 00 mins and 44 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

One week before #TheGrandStretchIsBack!

Today is 2025-12-07, the sun sets at 16:06:47 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 1 min and 04 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Today is 2025-12-06, the sun sets at 16:07:11 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 1 min and 28 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Today is 2025-12-05, the sun sets at 16:07:38 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 1 min and 55 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Today is 2025-12-04, the sun sets at 16:08:08 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 02 mins and 25 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Today is 2025-12-03, the sun sets at 16:08:43 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 03 mins and 00 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

The Long and Short of Winter – An Irishman’s Diary about St Lucy’s Day

Our very first callout in Irish "mainstream media" was in a column on St. Lucy's Day by Frank McNally: www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-...

(it's an obscure reference to our master's glorious website, gibiris.org)

Today is 2025-12-02, the sun sets at 16:09:20 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 03 mins and 37 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Honest question from a big dumb dummy: how come earliest sunset isn't on the night of the 21st, itself?

I won't last that long

We even have a (or an?) FAQ for that: www.gibiris.org/eo-blog/post...

The brings you straight to the answer.

Are you all ready?!?! The earliest sunset of 2025 in Dublin will be at 16:05:43 on the 13th of December. You know what that means? The #TheGrandStretchIsBack on the 14th!

Yes! And not only that!

In exactly 2 weeks' time, the Grand Auld Sthretch in the evenings in Dublin will commence, as this glorious event *always* precedes the December solstice by about 8 days!

WooHoo!

Today is 2025-12-01, the sun sets at 16:10:01 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 04 mins and 18 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Today is 2025-11-30, the sun sets at 16:10:45 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 05 mins and 02 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Catch-up post: on 2025-11-29, the sun set at 16:11:33, and grand auld stretch was 0:05:50. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

... *this* year.

Today is 2025-11-28, the sun sets at 16:12:23 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 06 mins and 40 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Today is 2025-11-27, the sun sets at 16:13:17 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 07 mins and 34 secs. #GrandStretch #GrandDrawingIn

Yes, though the effect latitude has on it is that little bit more surprising.

It differs from place to place: In Dublin it will start on the 14th this year.

Is it a consolation to let you know that the evenings will begin to get brighter on the 13th December (in London anyway)?

We just started setting things up for next year yesterday. The earliest sunset will be on the 13th December, at 16:05:43.

And the Grand Auld Sthretch in the evenings will be a total of 2 seconds long on the 14th! kicking off the 2026 season.