The Hill of Tara:
The Hill of Tara was occupied long before the turn of the millennium. One of the many mounds on the hill was excavated and proved to be a Stone Age passage tomb dated to 2000BC.
When Tara first became a royal site, it was probably only host to one king, but gradually the site gained in importance and was recognised as the most powerful in the country.
The remains of the many monuments on the Hill of Tara show it to have been a multi-period site and one of major importance. The given names of the sites are not necessarily correct as they originated from interpreted medieval texts.
The Principal Monuments:
The Rath of the Synods (Rath na Seanadh) has been excavated. It is a very elaborate structure with four concentric banks and ditches. It was used at different periods between the 2nd and 4th centuries for habitation, ritual and burial. There was evidence that the people who lived here had contacts with the Roman Empire. Roman pottery, glass, seals and other material were recovered.
The Mound of the Hostages (Dumha na nGiall) is a Stone Age passage tomb. It was used many centuries later in the Bronze Age when people of wealth and importance were buried in it. The tomb stands inside a large circular enclosure called the Royal Enclosure (Rath na Roigh), which is a Hillfort. This type of fortification is typical of the Iron Age and is therefore a much later structure than the Mound of the Hostages. It is defined by an earthen bank with a ditch inside.
Also in the Royal Enclosure are the Royal Seat (Forradh) and Cormac’s House (Teach Cormaic). The Royal Seat is a Ringfort and Cormac’s House a Barrow, so-called because of the mound inside a circular bank. Standing in Cormac’s House is the Stone Of Destiny (Lia Fail), said to be the inauguration stone of the Kings of Tara.
To the south of the Royal Enclosure are the remains of the Enclosure of King Laoire (Rath Laoire), which is another Hillfort.
The Banquet Hall (Teach Miodhchuarta) is a long rectangular area. It is possible that roads converged on this point and that this provided the entrance to Tara. It is incorrectly called the Banquet Hall because it was so interpreted by medieval texts.
The Sloping Trenches (Claoin Fhearta) and Grainne’s Enclosure (Rath Grainne) are three circular earthworks on the north west of the Hill of Tara. They are recognised as Barrows.
The tour of the monuments may start at the Churchyard, where an audio-visual presentation is also on offer.
Just outside the churchyard, the Statue of St. Patrick commemorates his legendary visit to the court of King Laoire before he began on his mission to bring Christianity to Ireland.
The Cache:
The Cache is a small tablock box covered in black cloth please take care when rehiding it:
The Hill of Tara lies to the west of the N3 Dublin-Derry road, between Navan and Dunshaughlin. It is clearly signposted.
Windsocker