A Song for Tara

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.

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• Tara
• Ireland
• Meath
• celtic
• irish
• celts
• history
• archaeological
• M3

[acerb45666555]

ive come to the conclusion that Tara and its surrounding area must be protected!! not one sign or gas station will be on those holy grounds!..........ps: Natives over here fight a hundred battles like this!

[LilysApple]

the situation is simple... the built the road... its due to be opened in march... they destroyed most of the huge sites when the irish government changed some laws... they no longer need to preserve sites, just photograph and record where they were... the fight is over... RIP Teamhair

[samjo27]

at least we have a small victory... they've brought in the legisture to stop them building more than the roads, but its still not enough. RIP teamhair... always in our hearts

[LilysApple]

they built the road... its due to be opened in march... they destroyed most of the huge sites when the irish government changed some laws... they no longer need to preserve sites, just photograph and record where they were... the fight is over... RIP Teamhair.

SO sad.

[EireGoon]

I love this song! And personally I prefer this version to the one that won the Eurovision.

Have they saved Tara or not??

[LilysApple]

they built the road... its due to be opened in march... they destroyed most of the huge sites when the irish government changed some laws... they no longer need to preserve sites, just photograph and record where they were... the fight is over... RIP Teamhair. So sad, the world has lost one of the most magical places on it..

[nimlothnimloth]

So beautiful.......

Tara

[conochi1]

II remember waking up to see the great Teamhair na Rí when I lived in Ireland. For 2 years i would walk to the hill and lookout to Ireland. I remember seeing the great Wiclow mountains and The Boyne Valley that motorway should be butchered, destroyed, and shoved up the planners \ / (.)(.)  ^^ __

[TheTbubbles]

@Meathcat ohh....heh i knew that(:

[Meathcat]

Lovely video & song. However it should be pointed out (because nobody on this page seems able to find out for themselves) that the M3 motorway was not built THROUGH the Hill of Tara, it was built 2km away from Tara. It WAS built through an historic area and unfortunately it went through the beautiful Skryne/Tara Valley. But show me anywhere in Ireland that hasn't been built on something significant? Tara is still there, still beautiful & lives to fight on another day!! :-)

Meathcat

[Meathcat]

@Elevationary 'N' means National Road, 'M' means motorway. We're not as stupid as you have made us out to be

[Meathcat]

@TheTbubbles No it doesn't, hill in Irish is 'Rath'

[bobfari]

I have just learnt of the road being built through The Hill Of Tara.... and i am NOT happy, This was where Kings ruled over ALL of Ireland, where pagan and Christian festivals were carried out, where the dead Kings Of Ireland were buried... and we had to go and build a fucking road through it...... DAM THIS POXY GOVERNMENT!!!!!

[nirelli]

I can't even watch the video-- it makes me so fucking sad.

[MagicTellaVision]

Dear Born Again Pagan Celts let’s Celebrate a Reveres Paradox,

on March 17th let’s PROMOTE CELTIC PAGAN LIBERATION DAY! If your are proud to be a Born Again Pagan Celt then wear all green and silkscreen on your underwear CELTIC PAGAN PRIDE for the Hill of Tara