Hill of Tara is one of the most sacred sites in the history of Ireland. It has been known to have existed even before the arrival of St. Patrick and Christianity. It was the site of rule of the Celtic kings as well as a burial ground.
Geographically, the Hill of Tara is located on an elevated landform as the name suggested, but interestingly there are grooves made into the earth giving it a very unique appearance. It exists in the shape of an eight. Now, I was neither on a helicopter nor am I a bird so to give you a view of how it looks like:
Geographically, the Hill of Tara is located on an elevated landform as the name suggested, but interestingly there are grooves made into the earth giving it a very unique appearance. It exists in the shape of an eight. Now, I was neither on a helicopter nor am I a bird so to give you a view of how it looks like:
Photo credits: https://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/hill-of-tara/9805
It's advisable to get a walking tour from the Hill of Tara visitor centre (where you will first be led into an old church to watch an introductory film) so you'll have a guide who explains everything to you nicely. If you do not know the significance of the various sites, your trip wouldn't be meaningful.
I am adding some photographs of how it looks like at the site itself. As I mentioned earlier, the Hill of Tara was also a burial ground, so we can see mounds and even a burial passage (right). Interestingly a young man's skeleton was excavated from this burial passage, and what was different was that he was not buried along with the other people of his time. Who knows why?
Legend has it that the trial of electing the Celtic king was a tough, tough one. Eligible men had to go through a rigorous series of tests before they were chosen. No doubt this was the case, because he would be the most powerful man in the whole of Ireland. The most interesting aspect of this was that Mother Nature herself had to choose the king. Once his tests were done, he had to touch this sacred stone. If a scream was heard, Nature had chosen him as hers.
On a clear day, standing atop the Hill of Tara, one can even see the other counties of Ireland - Armagh to the north, Wicklow to the south, and so on. The view is fantastic, and photographs can never do justice to the landscape surrounding this sacred hill, but here is my attempt:
I would like to end off with a photograph of a fairy tree that was on the hill. People had strung all sorts of things (including aluminium foil, baby pacifiers and - cringes - a tampon).
September 2017