Ancient historical sites of Ireland

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Ancient historical sites of Ireland

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.

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Tara from the air
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.

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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.

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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.

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Newgrange

Now on the banks of the Boyne, opposite Rosnaree, there stands a tumulus, said to be the greatest in Europe........ From reason and probability, we would with some certainty conclude that the great tumulus of New Grange was the temple of some Irish god; but that it was so, we know as a fact. - Standish O'Grady, Early Bardic Literature, Ireland, (1879).

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Newgrange is one of the best examples in Ireland and in Western Europe, of a type of monument known to archaeologists as a passage-grave or passage-tomb. It was constructed around 3200BC, according to the most reliable Carbon 14 dates available from archaeology. This makes it more than 600 years older than the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, and 1,000 years more ancient than Stonehenge.

Newgrange sits on the top of an elongated ridge within a large bend in the Boyne River about five miles west of the town of Drogheda. This area has great eminence thoughout Irish history - legend tells us the foundations of Christianity were laid here. Two miles or so downstream is Oldbridge, where the Battle of the Boyne took place in 1690.

Newgrange was built in a time when there was only stone, not metal, used as an everyday material for tools and weapons. In 1993, Newgrange and its sister sites Knowth and Dowth were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of their outstanding cultural legacy.

On the Winter Solstice, the light of the rising sun enters the roofbox at Newgrange and penetrates the passage, shining onto the floor of the inner chamber. The sunbeam illuminates the chamber of Newgrange for just 17 minutes.

A survey of the roofbox, passage and chamber of Newgrange by Dr. Jon Patrick in 1972 found that the Winter Solstice orientation of the site was an original feature, and that they were sophisticated constructions, intended to maximise the accuracy and length of the beam entering the chamber.

Newgrange has some stunning examples of megalithic art, including the beautifully carved entrance stone, kerbstone 1, and kerbstone 52. The famous triple spiral is featured on the entrance stone and in the chamber.

Many finds have been made at Newgrange, including some curious items such as a stone phallus and an iron wedge. One type of find which arouses the interest of archaeologists are the Roman coins, many of which were reported to have been found at Newgrange.

The Tuatha Dé Danann, who ruled Ireland in ancient mythology, were said to have erected Newgrange as a burial place for their chief, Dagda Mór, and his three sons. Newgrange was said to have been the place where the great mythical hero Cúchulainn was conceived by his mother Dechtine. His spiritual father, Lugh, visited Dechtine in a dream while she stayed at the Brugh.

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Access to Newgrange is through the Brú na Bóinne Visitors' Centre at nearby Donore, just across the river Boyne. In recent times, there have been as many as 200,000 visitors to Newgrange each year, making it the most visited archaeological monument in Ireland.

Mythical Ireland webmaster Anthony Murphy has written a book about Newgrange called 'Newgrange: Monument to Immortality' which examines the archaeology, the cosmology and the spirituality of the monument and its people and reaches interesting conclusions.

A book about Newgrange challenges the classification of the monument as a "passage-grave" or "passage-tomb", and says there was no evidence that Newgrange was used as any sort of dedicated repository for bodies, bones, burial artefacts or ash.

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Knowth (Cnoghba) - megalithic sister site of Newgrange Star circle

Knowth from the air

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While Newgrange is by far the most famous of the three Boyne Valley passage-tombs, Knowth is by far the most impressive in terms of megalithic art, scale and layered history. Knowth contains one quarter of all known megalithic art in Europe, has two passages, and a total of 18 smaller "satellite mounds". The site was excavated and thoroughly investigated archaeologically over a period of 40 years and is now open to the public who can visit through the Brú na Bóinne Visitors' Centre in nearby Donore.

There are two passages at Knowth (Newgrange has one) which face, roughly speaking, towards the east and towards the west. A long-held theory that the passages were aligned towards sunrise and sunset on the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes has, in recent years, been found to be untrue. A new theory, backed by scientific data about the orientation of these passages, points towards a lunar function for Knowth.

This lunar function is backed up by research which claims that the builders of this monument had a good working knowledge of the complicated movements of the Moon. Such knowledge would have enabled the builders to predict eclipses and other astronomical events. Some of the many carvings on the 127 kerbstones at Knowth could be representations of lunar counts and calculations.

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It is probably Knowth's astonishing quantity of art which makes it more impressive than Newgrange. Many of the kerbstones are decorated, while there is significant decoration in both passages and inside some of the satellite monuments.

There was significant activity at Knowth over a long period of time. Archaeologist, Professor George Eogan, found that there were 10 separate phases of activity at the site from the earliest times to the modern era. There may have been settlement at Knowth as early as 6,000 years ago.

During the Iron Age, the site was fortified and a huge ditch dug around the mound. In later times, Knowth became a significant site as the capital of the kingdom of Brega.

There are some very ancient myths about Knowth and how it got its name. One story relates that a noble woman, Bua, was buried there and the "great hill" was built up over her. These placename myths are still in existence today, in a collection called the Dindshenchas.

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There are a total of 18 smaller satellite mounds around the main mound, many of which had their own stone passages. Some also contain megalithic art.

A number of very significant finds and artefacts have been uncovered during 40 years of excavations at Knowth. A flint macehead, a stone phallus and a giant stone basin are among the interesting items found.

During the late stages of excavation, Mythical Ireland gained exclusive access to Knowth, thanks to the archaeologist, Prof. Eogan. Some features on this site include a comprehensive pictorial overview of the decorated kerbstones at Knowth, as well as exclusive photos of megalithic art in the western passage.

Also featured are studies of the sunlight penetrating the western passage around the time of the equinox.

A four-feet granite stone basin in the Eastern passage of Knowth may be engraved with a map of the city of Atlantis, as Plato described it. The three concentric circles match the three concentric lakes of Atlantis, according to a Swedish academic.

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Loughcrew

Clusters of Megalithic Cairns are dotted around the Slieve na Caillaigh hills at Loughcrew, the main concentrations are on Carnbane East where Cairn T is the centrepiece and Carnbane West where Cairn L is located.
The illumination of the passage and chamber at the Winter solstice sunrise in Newgrange is world famous. Less well known is the Equinox illumination at sunrise in Cairn T at Loughcrew. The backstone of the chamber is illuminated by a beam of light at sunrise on the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes.

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The sun light is shaped by the stones of the entrance and passage and descends the backstone while moving from left to the right illuminating the solar symbols. Equinox sunlight in Cairn T - Loughcrew
Visitors are welcome to walk up Carnbane East to Cairn T, a ten minute walk up a grassy hill from a small car park. During the summer months there is a guide at Cairn T, at other times Cairn T is locked, so to get inside collect the key at the nearby Loughcrew Gardens.

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At Cairn L on Carnbane West the sunrise at Samhain (early November) and Imbolc (early February) illuminates the passage and chamber, lighting up the limestone standing stone in the cairn. The owner of the land where Cairn L is located does not allow public access to the site. The Loughcrew cairns are located 40 kilometres from Newgrange, situated on three hill summits near the town of Oldcastle, Co. Meath. The hills, known collectively as "Sliabh na Caillighe", or the "Mountain of the Witch" and sometimes "The Storied Hills", are individually called Carnbane West, Carnbane East and Patrickstown. The highest of these peaks reaches over 900 feet above sea level. They are probably older than Newgrange, dating to between 3500 and 3300 BC, and many contain astronomical symbolism like that at Brú na Bóinne.

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Richard Moore's" High Man "
Richard Moore’s latest giant art installation will be completed today, on the summer solstice, in a field in front of Newgrange.
His new creation is the ‘High Man’, a giant warrior/god/hero holding the sun, based on Irish legends and the fact that in the sky, the huge hero constellation Orion appears to grab the sun on the longest day of the year.

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The High Man measures almost 150 metres tall (493 feet) and is situated in such a way that it reflects alignments concerning both winter solstice and summer solstice.
Richard shot to fame on Easter weekend when he created a huge Byzantine image of the face of Jesus in a field in Drogheda, helped by another local artist, Derek McCloskey.
Now the pair have created an even larger image, but this time in the heart of the historic Boyne Valley.


Artist Richard Moore at the site of the art near Newgrange.

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It’s based upon a giant warrior figure dubbed the ‘High Man’ which was discovered in the landscape of Louth and Meath by Moore and fellow author and researcher Anthony Murphy. They wrote about it in their book ‘Island of the Setting Sun - In Search of Ireland’s Ancient Astronomers’.

The giant heroic figure is located in an area anciently known as Ferrard - from Fer Ard, meaning ‘High Man’. This area stretches right down to the Boyne river, and so Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were all in this ancient region.


Midday on summer solstice - Orion holds the sun.
“The summer solstice is a very significant time in this current era,” Richard explained. “On this day, the sun is located above Orion, in his upraised hand, as if he is holding onto it. This is something that only happens in this modern age. The sun’s solstice positions are slowly regressing through the Zodiac, taking almost 26,000 years to complete one revolution. So when the summer solstice sun’s position gradually moves out of Orion’s hand, as it will do over the next few decades, it will be almost 26,000 years before that happens again.”

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Moore and Murphy are convinced that the builders of Newgrange were aware of this 26,000-year movement, known to astronomers today as the ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’.
The pair say that the Stone Age builders were advanced astronomers and were also keen surveys, based largely around their comprehensive astronomical knowledge.
The beauty of the new ‘High Man’ creation is that it is positioned in such a way as to reflect both summer solstice and winter solstice.

“It is located on the winter solstice line from Newgrange,” said Richard. “If you could trace a line from the chamber of Newgrange, out through the entrance, towards the rising sun on winter solstice, this line would intersect Mound A, this mound in the field where the High Man is located, and further on it would eventually meet Fourknocks, a small Neolithic mound almost 15 kilometres away.”

In addition to this, the figure itself is aligned to mark summer solstice. It is positioned so that it is pointing towards the place on the horizon where the sun rises on summer solstice. If you could darken the sky and see the stars, you would see the giant warrior constellation Orion appearing to ‘carry’ the sun through the sky. It’s quite remarkable,” said Richard.

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Fourknocks

The name Fourknocks comes from the Irish 'Fuair Cnocs' which means 'The Cold Hills'. The mound is part of a complex of small sites in the area, and is significant to Newgrange because it is aligned with the line of Winter Solstice sunrise from Newgrange. Strangely though, the Fourknocks mound is not visible from Newgrange.

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The mound (known as Fourknocks Site I) was excavated along with the nearby Site II in the 1950s by P.J. Hartnett. The site was reconstructed with a metallic domed roof, although no roof was found during excavation. Near the centre of the floor was found a posthole which it has been suggested may have formed a support for a wooden roof on the mound.

A number of individuals were interred in Fourknocks, with deposits of cremated and inhumed remains found in both the passage entrance and in the chamber.

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The Fourknocks chamber is 41.92 sq. metres in size, considerably bigger than those at Newgrange (16.50), Knowth East (20.21) and Dowth South (15.21). In relation to the overall size of the chamber, the recesses at Fourknocks are small, and so too is the passage, with an area of just 5.67 sq. metres compared with 14.78 for Newgrange and about 30 sq.m. for Knowth East.

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The hill of Slane

Slane is such an impressive, important and influential site that it defies a simple description. Steeped in myth and history, the hill towers 158 metres (521ft) above the surrounding landscape and has breathtaking views of the countryside.

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From this beautiful hill, a vast prospect of Ireland is afforded on a clear day. Eastwards can easily be seen the mounds of Newgrange and Knowth, with the town of Drogheda and the Irish Sea beyond, while the view northwards extends as far as Slieve Gullion (well into Northern Ireland), southwards as far as the Sugarloaf Mountain in Wicklow, and westwards to the midlands of Ireland.

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Saint PatrickThe importance of the Hill of Slane can be traced back into prehistory, probably as far as the Neolithic. In ancient Dindshenchas mythology, the Fir Bolg king Sláine was said to have been buried here. In Christian history the hill became established as the place where St. Patrick lit the first paschal fire in direct defiance of the pagan kings at nearby Tara. However, archaeologists have suggested the Paschal Fire may have been lit at Brú na Bóinne, and possibly Knowth, instead of Slane.

The hill remained an eminence of Christian significance long after St. Patrick appointed Erc as the first Bishop there - a monastery survived on the Hill of Slane even after successive raids by the Vikings. It is still a mecca for pilgrims to this day.

There are other, less known facts, which make Slane a mystical and fascinating place. The 'motte' which stands on the western side of the hill, shielded from view by a wood of trees, is said to be of Norman origin, but is probably the burial mound of Sláine, the Fir Bolg King, who according to legend was the one who cleared the wood from the Brugh when the mounds of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were built. The mound also has interesting alignments with other ancient sites, and in mythology may have an astronomical significance.

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Slane was also supposed to have been the location of a mythical healing well, which was used by the Tuatha Dé Danann to heal their wounds during battle.

Another intriguing story about Slane concerns a certain Dagobert II, heir to the throne of a Merovingian kingdom called Austrasie (in France), who was exiled to Ireland after his father's death in 656. Dagobert is said to have grown into a man 'at the Monastery of Slane', and attended the court of the High King of Tara. While in Ireland, he married a Celtic princess. He eventually returned to Austrasie and claimed the kingship in 674, some 18 years after his original exile to Slane.

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Slane sits on an extraordinary 135-mile equinox alignment stretching from Millmount in the east as far as Croagh Patrick in the west, passing through the town of Kells and the impressive monument complex at Cruachan Ai. We call this Saint Patrick's "Equinox Journey". The near-equinox alignment involves watching the sunset around March 23rd from Millmount, overlooking the Boyne in Drogheda. This sunset falls behind the Hill of Slane. n observer looking at this equinoctial sunset is unwittingly looking also in the direction of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo. Thus, two sites closely associated with Saint Patrick are in a near-equinox alignment. By coincidence, Mythical Ireland webmaster Anthony Murphy's birthday is March 23rd!

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Beal Boru, Brian Boru's Fort, Killaloe, Co. Clare

Brian Boru's fort is located in a very serene and spectacular setting - overlooking Lough Derg on the River Shannon, just one mile north of the picturesque village of Killaloe. Beal Boru, as it is more commonly known, stands on a spur of land which commands the point where the lake narrows into the River Shannon.

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There is a serene beauty and loneliness amidst the tree-surrounded ring fort which was once the fort of Brian Boru.

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Brian Boru (Bórumha, bóraimhe, meaning a cattle tribute) was either born or reared at this mystical location, according to folklorist Daithi O hOgain, and the placename, Béal Bóramha, means the 'port of the cattle tribute'. Boru was high-king of Ireland from 1002 until his death in 1014AD. His headquarters was the nearby Ceann Cora (in English Kincora) which is located one mile from here in the picturesque village of Killaloe. His death came during the battle of Clontarf against the Norsemen, a battle which was to claim Boru's life, but which he won nonetheless.

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The fort can be found by taking a trek down a half-mile grassy pathway from the Killaloe-Scarrif Road, through a mostly wooded area, and the place feels detached from the modern world when the trees are in full leaf. The site is impressive in the height of the outer side of the banks, and is fairly expansive in size. Apart from a small amount of litter, the site is in good condition.

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CATTLE

In ancient times cattle designated as tribute for the Dalcassian chiefs were driven across the river at this point.
Over 800 stone implements, including stone axes, hammer stones and perforated stone sinkers for lines and nets, have been found in the immediate neighbourhood. Ten stone axes were found within the fort in 1936. So it is quite possible that a Stone Age settlement occupied the site of Beal Boru because of its position on the river, which could be forded at this point or used as a safe harbour by craft. In 1961 Professor O'Kelly's excavations revealed an early ring fort which had been inhabited, abandoned and later built over. The larger structure was never completed, nor does it appear to have been occupied. The first habitation dated from the eleventh century until, possibly 1116 when Turlough O'Connor destroyed Boroma and Kincora. In 1207 the Normans tried to build a castle here, probably a motte and bailey type, but were driven off. Geoffrey de Marisco, the Lord Justice, eventually succeeded in building a castle in Killaloe in 1216.


Except for some filling in of the ditch and the planting of trees at the start of the nineteenth century, the fort looks very much as it did during the thirteenth century. Two Hiberno-Norse coins, minted between 1035 and 1070, were found here as well as a decorated piece of local slate, five bronze pins, a tangled stud, 25 large nails, two small shreds of pottery, animal and bird bones and a considerable amount of musket balls.



Replica of Brian Boru's sword

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Brian Boru's sword - click hereA repilca of the sword believed to have been carried by Brian Boru has been created. There will only be 400 swords made. The blade features a round tip as with most huge swords from that time period, since they were for hacking instead of stabbing. The long wide fuller starts about 9" below the hilt and runs for some 30" ytowards the tip. A leather backstap is also included with the sword. Click here for more information.

History of Brian Boru - Surrounded by his Dalcassion Knights, Brian marched into Leinster at the head of about thirty thousand men in the beginning of April 1014, in three divisions, and was there joined by Malachy II., King of Meath. He encamped, as he had done the year before, in the war against Maelmordha, near Kilmainham. After both armies had viewed each other it was agreed to determine the fate of Ireland by a general battle on the plain of Clontarf. Brian offered the Danes battle on Palm Sunday, which they declined; but on Good Friday, they signified, by their dispositions, that they were about to open their attack.

Brian felt much grieved that a day so sacred to the Christians should have been destined for the work of death; but with dauntless spirit and a calm and confident exterior he issued orders for arranging his troops in order for battle.

Their ranks had been formed before daylight, and as the sun rose, Brian rode through the lines of his soldiers with a crucifix in one hand, and a drawn sword in the other; he reminded them of the day selected by the pagan invader to offer battle, and exhorted them to conquer or die. Standing in the centre of his army, and raising his powerful voice, his speech was worthy of so great a king and so good a man: "Be not dismayed my soldiers, because my son Donough is avenging our wrongs in Leinster; he will return victorious, and in the glory of his conquests you shall share. On your valor rests the hopes of your country today; and what surer grounds can they rest upon? Oppression now attempts to bend you down to servility; will you burst its chains and rise to the independence of Irish freemen? Your cause is one approved by Heaven. You seek not the oppression of others; you fight for your country and sacred altars. It is a cause that claims heavenly protection. In this day's battle the interposition of that God who can give victory will be singnally manifested in your favor. Let every heart, then, be the throne of confidence and courage. You know that the Danes are strangers to religion and humanity; they are inflamed with the desire of violating the fairest daughters of this land of beauty, and enriching themselves with the spoils of sacrilege and plunder. the barbarians have impiously fixed, for their struggle, to enslave us, upon the very day on which the Redeemer of the world was crucified. Victory they shall not have! from such brave soldiers as you they can never wrest it; for you fight in defense of honor, liberty and religion-in defense of the sacred temples of the true God, and of your sisters, wives and daughters. Such a holy cause must be the cause of God, who will deliver your enemies this day into your hands. Onward, then, for your country and your sacred altars!"

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Borderlands

A new venture to promote the historical and ancient sites of the border region of Ireland has been launched. Borderlands takes you on a journey through the ever changing landscape of Ireland's Eastern Borders. Many of the sites highlighted by the new project are within an hour's drive or less of Newgrange and the Boyne Valley monuments. Recent changes in the region now allow easy access to many wonderful historical sites scanning 6,000 years of history.

Borderlands map

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The Borderlands area covers Newry & Mourne, Banbridge and Armagh in Northern Ireland and Louth and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. With over 50 historical sites, wonderful scenery and warm, welcoming people, borderlands is an ideal place to visit for special interest groups, and tours full of history and intrigue.

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Millmount

Millmount is a well-known monument overlooking the town of Drogheda at the gateway to the Boyne Valley. It is a mound with a martello tower on the top, built by the British in 1808. But just how old is the mound itself, and does it have any connection with Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth? The following passages from Island of the Setting Sun give a taste of our investigation into the age of Millmount:

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The Millmount at night with its illuminated martello tower, built by the British as 'Richmond Fort' 200 years ago in 1808.
The Millmount is the most remarkable monument in Drogheda, dominating the skyline above the ancient town from its lofty position on a high bank overlooking the River Boyne. The steep-sided mount, with the striking Martello tower sitting on top, can be seen for miles. It is visible from most of the approach routes to the town, and its position on one of the highest points above the Boyne gives it a special prominence, a stately presence above the many steeples and other buildings of the town.
The Millmount has a varied and fascinating history. Different sources tell different stories about its origin and various purposes over the ages. Some accounts say it was raised by Turgesius the Dane in 830 AD; others that it was built as a fort by the Vikings; some attribute the construction of the motte-and-bailey to Hugh de Lacy, who established a borough on the south side of Drogheda after the Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century.

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The Millmount has other claims to fame. In 1649, when Oliver Cromwell laid siege to the town, the mound was said to have offered strong resistance. In 1808, it was known as Richmond Fort, and it was at this time that the famous Martello tower was constructed on top of the mound by the British. This same Martello tower was later shelled during the Irish Civil War of 1921–22.

However, we are not interested in Millmount’s recent history. There are other sources which push Millmount’s origin way back, considerably earlier than the 830 AD of Turgesius’s invasion. In fact, as investigations were to reveal, Millmount conceals a hidden legacy, a wonderful, awe-inspiring genesis which has been lost to the passage of time, garbled and confused by successive layers of myth and history, and revealed only by a diligent and intuitive study of the various elements which form part of this elusive legacy. These elements, including astronomy, mythology, the ancient landscape, local folklore, combine to bring to life the story of this wonderful true heritage of the Millmount, and its place in the grand scheme of things in the ancient “Valley of the Milky Way”.

We believe from our investigations that the mound at Millmount is a re-used passage-tomb, dating all the way back to the Neolithic, and that local folklore which states it is part of the Brú na Bóinne complex is accurate. Millmount is said to be the burial place of the Milesian warrior-bard-astronomer, Amergin.

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To give you the best possible taste of Millmount and its alignments and connections with the wider landscape, you should view our presentation called "Millmount's Cosmic Alignments" which was given as a presentation to the Old Drogheda Society at Millmount in February 2008 and then as a talk to Art in Action in June 2008.

This will give you a good feeling for what the place is about. This is also a good summary of the information about Millmount given in our book, Island of the Setting Sun - In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers, except this presentation is more image rich and should help you better understand it's significance.

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Baltray: Significant standing stones discoveries

There are two standing stones at Baltray, a coastal village located at the mouth of the River Boyne, a place known in ancient mythology as Inbher Colptha. The stones are situated on the edge of a ridge, overlooking a raised beach towards the sea to the east. There were originally three stones at the site, but now only two are visible. The stones are slabs of shale, set 9 metres apart. Significant astronomical and mythologyical discoveries have been made by Mythical Ireland at Baltray.

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