Post was not sent - check your email addresses! One is Teach Chormaic (Cormac's House) and the other is the Forradh or Royal Seat, which incorporates earlier burial mounds.

(The workers charged with carrying out repairs are said to have had no idea about the alignment — although I learned that nugget of gossip from the protestors, so take with a pinch of salt — which, if true, reminds us of how little-appreciated this monument is.) In a country largely devoid of peaks, this must have been a natural site to place its kings–close to the ocean, near rivers that feed the verdant, rolling hills where thousands of head of cattle could roam.The Hill of Tara figures prominently in several of my novels, both published and unpublished. Over 40 remains have been removed from the mound. Doubtless there will be a sustained argument over the integrity of the interpretation, as still continues over Newgrange.The almost-complete new facade of the Mound of the Hostages in spring 2013.Explanatory signage detailing the reasons for reconstruction which was erected during the 2012 conservation work. However, the excavation was only published in 2005 by Dr Muiris O’Sullivan. Tara–the very name evokes the ancient beginnings of Éire. Monument Type: Megalithic tomb – passage tomb Needless to say, this work was very controversial (note protest sign in the photo above right), not least because it began on the day of the winter alignment and blocked the solar alignment during the time when work was underway.
On this greyish-white stone, would-be kings would have reverently placed their hands.

It is clear that it dates from the neolithic period, and that it really was once the site of sacrifice–whether human or animal–and that it was an important part of the rhythm of life of those early dwellers in Ireland.To most Irish people, the word “Tara” conjures up the unforgettable image of the Lia Fáil, the Stone of Destiny.The stone is undeniably, proudly phallic. That this individual was of privileged rank in society can be deduced from the exceptional grave goods, in particular the faience beads which may originate from the eastern Mediterranean and were a rare and exotic item in Bronze Age Ireland.Ráith na Rí in medieval descriptions is said to have enclosed three wonders, the Forradh, Teach Cormaic and Múr Tea. One can see by looking at a panoramic view that Tara is elevated gently, commanding a viewer to see for miles around. That was the legendary site of the famous Mead Hall of the high kings…the Mound of Hostages….White Grange… the ráths or ringforts of kings and even mythic beings.According to Ireland’s legends, Tara predated even those neolithic people, as it was the cradle of the Tuatha Dé Danann, pre-Celtic dwellers who held this land sacred.

Some of the burials were contained in stone-built cists and in some cases two or more burials were placed in the same pit.

After Ríordáin's death, he was replaced by Ruaidhrí de Valera who finished the excavation in 1959. The Mound of the Hostages is 4,500 to 5000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before the first Celts arrived in Ireland about 2,500 years ago. These grave goods include decorative pottery and urns, stone beads, and bone pins. 18 images, 2 fieldnotes, plus information on many more ancient sites nearby and across the UK & Ireland. Your personal guided-tour through the best of Ireland, Irish culture, and history.The Mound of the Hostages in 2009, before the current restoration project.The oldest — and perhaps most important — monument on the The Mound of Hostages during reconstruction (June 2012). Here we see the structure called the Mound of Hostages where it is surmised that some held were allowed to die as representatives of their people. More burials occurred at this site in the Bronze Age, and space in the passage eventually became unavailable, so the bodies were then placed in the mound itself. The Tara excavation project began in the early summer of 1952, directed by Seán P. Ó Ríordáin, Professor of Celtic Archaeology at University College, Dublin. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.

The remains were then covered with stone slabs.

The mound was used for burials from the early Neolithic up to 1600 - 1700 BCE. That was the location of the famous Lia Fáil, known as the Stone of Destiny. This event, supposed to have happened in 432 AD, is the part of the climax of my novel Two of  the most intriguing and compelling sites at Tara are the Mound of Hostages and the Lia Fáil, both unarguably several thousands of years old.From neolithic times, the leaders (later, kings) of  Ireland held “hostages” or representatives from the various sub-kingships of the island. Here is an overview of the mound, taken on a stormy day, that to me evokes the frightening aspect of that place: Photo by Jim Dempsey. Mound of Hostages. Legends say that if the stone roared, or cried out joyfully, the seeker was the true king.One wonders what happened to those unlucky candidates who heard nary a peep.


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