Threat
to the Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara is under threat from the
construction of a new motorway, the M3, which is currently being built
and will disect the tranquil Tara-Skryne valley and pose... Threat to the Hill of Tara
The
Hill of Tara is under threat from the construction of a new motorway,
the M3, which is currently being built and will disect the tranquil
Tara-Skryne valley and pose a threat to many monuments which will
doubtlessly be uncovered during its construction. Already a unique
hengiform site has been revealed at Lismullen, and this has stopped
work on the motorway.
The Hill of Tara, known as Temair in
gaeilge, was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland -- 142 kings are
said to have reigned there in prehistoric and historic times. In
ancient Irish religion and mythology Temair was the sacred place of
dwelling for the gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld. Saint
Patrick is said to have come to Tara to confront the ancient religion
of the pagans at its most powerful site.
One interpretation of
the name Tara says that it means a "place of great prospect" and indeed
on a clear day it is claimed that features in half the counties of
Ireland can be seen from atop Tara. In the distance to the northwest
can be seen the brilliant white quartz front of Newgrange and further
north lies the Hill of Slane, where according to legend St. Patrick lit
his Pascal fire prior to his visit to Tara in 433 AD.
Early
in the 20th century a group of Israelites came to Tara with the
conviction that the Arc of the Covenant was buried in on the famous
hill. They dug the Mound of the Synods in search of the Arc but found
only some Roman coins. Official excavation in the 1950s revealed
circles of post holes, indicating the construction of substantial
buildings here. A new theory suggests Tara was the ancient capital of
the lost kingdom of Atlantis. The mythical land of Atlantis was
Ireland, according to a new book.
There are a large number of
monuments and earthen structures on the Hill of Tara. The earliest
settlement at the site was in the Neolithic, and the Mound of the
Hostages was constructed in or around 2500BC. There are over thirty
monuments which are visible, and probably as many again which have no
visible remains on the surface but which have been detected using
special non-intrusive archaeological techniques and aerial photography.
A huge temple measuring 170 metres and made of over 300 wooden posts,
was discovered recently at Tara. Only two monuments at Tara have been
excavated - The Mound of the Hostages in the 1950s, and the Rath of the
Synods at the turn of the 19th-20th Centuries. Click here to see a
comprehensive map of the monuments on Tara. Click here for the Tara
photo gallery.
The Stone of Destiny
Sitting on
top of the King's Seat (Forradh) of Temair is the most famous of Tara's
monuments - Ireland's ancient coronation stone - the Lia Fail or "Stone
of Destiny", which was brought here according to mythology by the
godlike people, the Tuatha Dé Danann, as one of their sacred objects.
It was said to roar when touched by the rightful king of Tara.
Formerly
located just north of the Mound of the Hostages (see map), it was moved
to its current site after the Battle of Tara during the Irish
revolution of 1798 to mark the graves of 400 rebels who died here. Some
say the true Stone of Destiny was formerly the Pillow of Jacob from the
Old Testament. They also claim it was flat and that it was moved from
Tara by King Fergus of Scotland and was named the Stone of Scone which
then became the coronation stone of British kings at Westminster
Cathedral. Many historians accept that the present granite pillar at
Tara is the true Stone of Destiny, but a number of people have argued
that the Stone of Scone is in fact the real thing. One legend states
that it was only one of four stones positioned at the cardinal
directions on Tara - and it is interesting to note that the Hall of
Tara, the ancient political centre of Ireland, is aligned North-South.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3OCRAfRXgE&feature=related
