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Teamhair is the Irish name for the Hill of Tara, a significant place in Irish legends and folklore. The most powerful rulers of Ireland once had residence in Tara. From St Patrick using the shamrock to explain the Christian Trinity to Daniel O'Connell's monster rally at Tara, the site has witnessed special moments of the history of Ireland.
Tara Visitor Centre (call 046-9025903 for information) is impressive and shows presentations on the site.
The Rath of the Synods, as well as being used |
as living quarters between AD200 and 400, was also a place where burials and rituals took place. History has it that the triple-ringed fort also hosted St Patrick's early meetings, called synods. The Royal Enclosure is a hill fort which dates back to the Iron Age and which contains several smaller sites. The Mound of the Hostages is a passage grave and the most ancient known part of Tara. Cormac's House and the Royal Seat are also to be found within the Royal Enclosure. The Stone of Destiny which lies atop Cormac's House stood before near the Mound of the Hostages. The Enclosure of King Laoghaire is supposed to be the tomb of King Laoghaire dressed in his armour, and standing upright. Much of the information about the Banquet Hall was found in the 12th-century Book of Leinster and the Yellow Book of Lecan, which suggest it was used as a place in which thousands of guests would gather for feasts. However there many other theories as to what the original purpose of this quite unusual earthwork was.
Around Tara you could pay a visit to Dunsany Castle (call 046-902 5198 for information) and its many treasures, or to the ruins of Killeen Castle, a late 19th-century mansion. |
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