Ireland's Tara
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| Hill of Tara |
Written by Ben Kesp
The striking green landscape greets your eyes on arrival at Tara, one of the places in the world that incites interest, intrigue and curiosity. The site is so large that it will never feel crowded allowing you to soak up the ancient and spiritual energy of Tara.
Located in County Meath, aligned north-south near the River Boyne in Ireland, it is bathed in Irish Mythology and one of Ireland’s historic treasures. Today it still mystifies as to its true purpose and the complete story of Tara remains untold. Archaeologists have said the secrets of Tara are not the landscape that is seen today, but what lies beneath it.
Most famously known as the coronation site for pre Christian kings of Ireland or high kings up to the sixth century, it was also the capital and spiritual centre for the Tuatha Dé Danann, the ancient divine race that dwelled in Ireland prior to the arrival of the Celts. Tuatha Dé Danann are the old Irish gods that walked the lands of ancient Ireland, described as a race that was majestic in appearance and beauty.
Tara was a site for druid practices and a gateway to another world of eternal joy where no one grew old. It was one of the first places St. Patrick on his mission of Christianity travelled, so to confront the practitioners of the ancient religion at their most sacred site. The current site of Tara dates to 2,500 B.C. however was in use prior to this.
Throughout my research on Tara, I stumbled across an interesting website called “The Blue Stones of Atlantis, Ireland and the lost tribe of the E.A” by William Henry who has written many articles on Atlantis. He found a link with one of his works “Secrets of the Cathars”, connecting the genocide of the Cathars of the Pure Ones of Southern France, (the secret teachings of Jesus) and the supernatural blue stones of the Sumerian creator god Enki or E.A. The site details that in addition to Iraq and France the E.A operated the blue stone based star gate mystery school at the Hill of Tara. The Sumerians called the Tuatha Dé Danann, Anunnaki or referred to them as “Lords of the Light” who brought with them to Ireland four sacred objects:
- The Stone of Destiny
- The Sword of Destiny
- The Cup of Destiny
- The Staff or Spear of Destiny
These treasures were buried in the Mountain of God which was considered to be located at Tara as well as the Ish-Tar Gateway to the spiritual world. The E.A led the Anunnaki in search of the blue stones that create enlightenment and found them in a place called Arili. Was this place really Ireland?
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| Stone of Destiny |
Early civilisation of the Sumerian people (around modern day Iraq) is unknown of their actual origins, however according to Irish mythology of the Anunnaki, it predates the Sumerian civilisation by one thousand years. Ireland became a fully developed Kingdom and its sudden origin confused many historians and is still somewhat an unknown mystery as historians and archaeologists piece together history from various sources of ancient Ireland. Ireland was isolated from the rest of Europe and written records of history did not begin until the early Christian period. Archaeology facts support that there was life in Ireland over 8,000 years ago and that it may have been settled on five times by different inhabitants. In Irish mythology, Tara prior to its use as ceremonial inauguration site for the Irish High Kings, it was the sacred home of the Ari. Ari-land or later Ireland took its name from the Aris or Arians. Ireland may have been home to the Aryan race, or otherwise known as Atlantis.
This is all very interesting, however as I mentioned due to the lack of written evidence of ancient Ireland it is difficult to surmise the earlier existences and its peoples. I have written before that in Irish myth, Ireland took its name from the Goddess Eriu (Erin) following the defeat of the Tuatha Dé Danann by the Milesians of Spain.
In the early twentieth century a group of Israelites came to Tara in search of the Arc of the Covenant. They dug the Mound of the Synods however only found some roman coins. Tara has been a site of mystery and intrigue for many scholars, archaeologists and historians and it contains many ancient monuments:
The Stone of Destiny
It was moved from its original site north of the Mound of Hostages in 1798 during the Irish Rebellion. This is the ancient coronation stone and according to mythology was brought to Tara by the Tuatha Dé Danann as one of their sacred objects.
The Mound of Hostages
A megalithic passage tomb and is the oldest monument on the hill of Tara dating between 2,500 and 3,000 B.C. with an estimated 250 to 500 bodies buried along the passage way within. The passage of the tomb is aligned to the sun movements of the 8th of November and the 4th of February – the ancient Celtic festivals of Samhain and Imbolc.
The Standing Stones
Two stones which are believed to be the last of many ancient standing stones on Tara. The taller of the two stones is said to feature the figure of Cernunnos, the Celtic Fertility God.
The Great Hall
Oval shaped monument measuring 170 metres which was surrounded by three hundred post holes. Three Hundred oak posts once surrounded the hill
The Rath of the Synods
It was built around a burial mound known as the “Kings Chair” and it lies south of the “Banqueting Hall” which may have been the entrance to Tara or ceremonial avenue. The banqueting hall is seen today and its true purpose is unknown.
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| Banqueting Hall |
Iron Age Hill Top Enclosure
Situated on the very top of the hill, this measures 1,043 Ft north-south by 866 ft east-west and is enclosed by an internal and external bank known as Ráith na Ríogh - The fort of the Kings or the Royal Enclosure. Inside are prominent linked earth works known as Cormac’s House and the Royal Seat. South of the royal enclosure lies a ring fort known as Ráith Laoghaire where the reigning King is said to be buried upright.
There are also many more ancient remains and remnants which can be found during a visit to Tara. During the construction of the M3 Motorway in the 2000s, slicing through part of Tara’s ground, a large henge was discovered which was suspected of being able to throw more light on Tara and surrounding monuments. Additionally a route paved with wooden logs, filled in with gravel was discovered. Despite national and international outcry at this atrocity of building the motorway, which went to European court level, the henge was destroyed under the cover of darkness, obliterating a part of Tara’s ancient history. What was so secret that needed to be destroyed? This event is often referred to as the Rape of Tara.
Older monuments than Tara are located a short distance to the North West of the site and these predate the great Egyptian pyramid of Giza, Stone Henge and the Mycenaean Culture of ancient Greece, and were constructed using advanced technological engineering. The Boyne Valley contains an abundance of passage tombs dating to the Neolithic period. The most famous of these is the ancient temple of Newgrange. I use the description of temple as these sites were used for more than just burial. Newgrange, dating more than 5,000 years old has its main passage leading to the internal chamber lit on the winter solstice by the sun. This event usually lasts for seventeen minutes. The internal chamber of Newgrange is crucifix in design and is one of the best preserved and largest Neolithic tombs in the world today. Knowth which is greater in size to Newgrange contains two passages leading to a larger internal chamber however due to poor excavation work this is not open to the public. Newgrange contains many examples of abstract Neolithic artwork and like Tara the true meaning and purpose of the site is not fully understood.
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| Newgrange |
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| Knowth |
A trivia point to note on Tara, which I discovered, is that the Tara Plantation in the 1939 Movie “Gone with the Wind” based on the book by Margaret Mitchell, was founded by Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara after he won the land in a poker game. O’Hara named his new found land with the grand name of Tara after the Hill of Tara, the former capital of the High Kings of Ireland.
Tara, inauguration seat of the Irish High Kings, the capital of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a spiritual site for druid practices, the mountain of god, a gateway to another world or is it an ancient site that today radiates a spiritual link to our hidden past? Will its secrets ever be told?
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| Tara |
More information on Newgrange at: Newgrange
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