History of Tara

[Tara] is one of only a small number of monumental complexes that are of more than usual cultural importance from the standpoint not only of archaeology but also of history, mythology, folklore, language,place-names study and in the case of Tara, even of National Identity.'

Dr. Patrick F. Wallace, Director, National Museum of Ireland, in correspondence with Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche 16th March 2005

The undisputed evidence of medieval Irish sources, dating from circa AD600 onwards, ranks Tara as the pre-eminent pagan sanctuary and centre of kingship in Ireland.

The Lia Fáil

It was on the summit of the Hill of Tara that the ancient kings of Ireland were coronated, entering into ritual ‘marriage' with the land, personified as the Goddess of sovereignty, Medb. The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) located on the summit was said to roar when Ireland's rightful king touched it or drove his chariot against it. Evidence of this landscape's use as a burial ground and temenous ‘temple sanctuary' dates back to at least the Neolithic age (4000-2200 BC). The Mound of the Hostages, located on the hill, dates from this period and predates both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

The Mound of the Hostages

The chamber within the Mound is perfectly aligned with the full moon of Lughnasa(Autumn) and the rising sun at Samhain(Winter) and at Imbolg(Spring) making it one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the world . Under this chamber lie at least two hundred burials dating back 3,500 years.

The Hill of Tara was the focal point of a larger ritual and political landscape, with associated settlement sites, burial grounds and more religious sites, extending into the surrounding countryside. In early prehistory(c.4000-1500 BC) these tend to be particularly concentrated in the fertile and well-drained Gabhra valley between the Hills of Tara and Skryne.

It is now understood and accepted by all leading national and international academic authorities, that the Hills of Tara, Skryne and the Gabhra Valley constitute a unified archaeological and cultural landscape.

Tara and the Gabhra Valley's central role in the construction of our cultural and national identity is reflected in the prominence given to the landscape in early Irish literature. Tara is the most mentioned site in early Irish literature. The four saga cycles of early Irish literature, Mythological, Ulster, Fiannaíocht and Cycle of the Kings intersect in the lore of the Gabhra valley.

The legendary final battle of Fionn Mac Cumhail's Fianna with the forces of king Cairpre Lifechair, son of legendary king Cormac mac Airt, is said to take place in the Gabhra valley. Cairpre, Oscar son of Oisín and the rest of the decimated Fianna are said to be buried in the valley. Cú chulainn's right hand, head and gold shield panel are also said to be buried at Tara.

Gabhra and Achall (Skryne) is where Cormac mac Airt lived and died, building Achall for himself in his old age, when due to the loss of an eye, he could no longer live in Tara, as blemished kings cannot reign. Lug, the most revered of early Celtic Gods is made king of the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Banqueting Hall on top of the Hill of Tara. Similarly, Tara is the scene of the heroic feats of such kings as Conn of the Hundred Battles, Niall of the Nine Hostages and Conaire Mór among others.

St.Patrick's statue on the Hill of Tara

It is said that in 433AD St.Patrick confronted king Lóegaire and his court at Tara with the Christian message. Legend also states that Patrick first used the Shamrock to explain the Divine Trinity at Tara.

Indeed our national icons the Harp and Shamrock are said to originate from Tara. The powerful symbol of Dé Danann supremacy was the Harp of the father-god, the Daghdha. This magical Harp was later to become an emblem of the Uí Néill kingship at Tara and eventually Ireland.

Tara's status as Capital and symbol of Irish sovereignty led king Malachy II to fiercely defend the Ferann Ríg or ‘royal demesne' from the invading Amlaíb Cúarán, Norse king of Dublin, in 980AD. Tara was the touchstone for many campaigns in the past. Such figures as Conn Ó Néill held a symbolic meeting there as part of his invasion of the Pale; Aodh Ó Néill, who was considered a national leader in 1599, visited Tara for a victory assembly. Even earlier, in 1527 another leader Ó Conchobhair went to Tara to symbolically shoe his horse. The Lord Deputy Sidney, in 1570, asked the Anglo-Irish lords to assemble at Tara and the Meath gentry gathered there during the 1641 rebellion.

The United Irishmen gathered on the hill and battled British forces there during the 1798 rising. The graves of the rebels are buried on the hill itself. To mark their graves, the ancient Lia Fáil was moved from near the Mound of the Hostages to Rath Cormac.

Daniel O'Connell 'The Liberator'

On the 15th August 1843 Daniel O'Connell, conscious of Tara's illustrious history and importance to nationalist Ireland, convened a Monster meeting at the hill calling for the repeal of the Act of Union. Ceremonial floats, banners, a trumpeter on horseback and a harpist playing on a horse drawn carriage accompanied the mile long cavalcade of O'Connell to the hill where he gave a rousing speech. An estimated three quarters of a million people attended the event.

His speech was reported thus:

"Tara is surrounded by historical reminiscences which give it an importance worthy of being considered by everyone who approaches it for political purposes and an elevation in the public mind which no other part of Ireland possesses, O'Connell proclaimed to the vast throng. We are standing upon Tara of the Kings, the spot where the monarchs of Ireland were elected, and where the chieftains of Ireland bound themselves by the solemn pledge of honour to protect their native land against Dane and every stranger. This was emphatically the spot from which emanated every social power and legal authority by which the force of the entire country was concentrated for national defence. On this important spot I have an important duty to perform. I here protest in the face of my country and my God against the continuance of the Union."

In 1899 a group known as the British Israelite's, looking for the Ark of the Covenant, did great damage to the Rath of the Synod's(on the summit of the hill) in their attempts to excavate the monument.

A letter was sent to the Times in London by Douglas Hyde, George Moore and W.B. Yeats that said:
‘Tara is, because of its associations, probably the most consecrated spot in Ireland, and its destruction will leave many bitter memories behind it'.