Tara, Co. Meath is one of the best-known archeological sites in Ireland.  Located near Dublin, it was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland.  It was first occupied during the Neolithic and was occupied almost constantly until historic times.  Tara contains a number of features, most of which are situated on the Hill of Tara, a low limestone ridge running north to south only about 503m above sea level.  Despite its relatively low elevation, it offers an easy view of the surrounding countryside.

Periods of Occupation
 Tara is believed to have been occupied in multiple phases.  The earliest identifiable monument, a Neolithic enclosure known as the Banqueting Hall is dated to about 3030-2190 BC. Duma na nGiall, or 'The Mound of Hostages,' is a Passage tomb believed to have been built around 2500 BC (Fig 1).  The early Bronze Age phase of activity is marked by the construction of Rath Meave, a hill fort about a half-mile south of Tara Hill, and by the conversion of the Passage tomb into a cemetery mound.  However most of the earthen works and ditches are dated to the Iron age and later, due to Iron and Roman materials found associated with them during excavations.

Figure 1, The Mound of Hostages.                                                                                                     Figure 2, The Stone of Destiny.

Previous Archeological Research
 In 1899, the Rath of Synods was ‘excavated’ by British Israelites who believed that it was the resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant.  They found only a few Roman coins.  The first official excavations happened in the 1950’s under Seán P.O'Riordáin.  This team excavated the passage tomb in the Mound of Hostages.
 In 1992, the Discovery Programme of Ireland initiated a survey of the hill itself and of the surrounding area under the direction of Connor Newman.  Completed in 1997, the survey used non-invasive techniques such as magnetometry and electric resistivity to add a great deal to our knowledge of the site without actually damaging anything.  In addition to the roughly 30 features already visible on the surface, the survey found an equal number of previously unknown features below ground.

Dominant Features
Duma na nGiall, also known as The Mound of Hostages, is a passage tomb built within the main enclosure
on the hill.  It contains two burials and is covered by a mound believed to have been added on during the Bronze Age.  The tomb itself is Neolithic, dating to about 2500 BC (Fig 1).

The Rath of Synods is a three-banked ringfort just north of the Mound of Hostages.  This is where British
Israelites searched unsuccessfully for the Ark of the Covenant.  Associated Roman artifacts place its construction as pre-Christian.

The top of the Hill of Tara is enclosed by a single bank called the Rath Righ, or ‘The Royal Enclosure.’
Almost 1000m in circumference, it is composed of an embankment and ditch up to 3.5m deep.  Associated artifacts indicate that it was built sometime in the Iron Age.  At some point later in history, it was converted from a ritual to a defensive enclosure by the construction of a palisade around the internal perimeter.  Within this enclosure are the Mound of Hostages, as well as two linked ringforts known as Forradh (The Royal Seat) and Chormaic (The House of Cormac).

In the center of the Forradh lies Lai Fail, or ‘The Stone of Destiny’ (Fig. 2).  Regarded as ancient Ireland’s most
obvious phallic symbol, it served as the inauguration stone for the kings of Tara.  Legend has it that the stone was brought to Tara by the godlike people, the Tuatha De 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 Hostages, it was moved to its present location in 1798 after the Battle of Tara to mark the graves of 400 Irish rebels who died there.  Some say the true Stone of Destiny was formerly the Pillow of Jacob from the Old Testament, however most scholars agree that the current stone is the real one.

The Banquet Hall (Fig. 3) is a rectangular earthwork 230x30m in size.  Neolithic in date, it’s basically a large,
rectangular hole dug into the ground.  Although it is called the Banquet hall, this name is probably a misnomer.  It’s more likely that it served as the entrance to the hill from the roads intersecting it, almost like a sort of processional space.

Interpretive elements
 The Hill of Tara was the seat of power in ancient Ireland for the majority of pre-history and extending into historic times.  Well fortified by ancient Irish standards, 142 Kings are said to have ruled there.  It’s easy to see why Tara was chosen as the seat of power geographically.  Despite its somewhat low elevation, it offers an easy view of 13 surrounding counties.   On a clear day, it is said that one can see features in half the counties of Ireland from its summit, giving it a commanding view of the island.  Like veins from the heart of the country, five major roads once radiated out from Tara, indicating its importance as an economic and cultural center.  The hill was occupied in one form or another from the Neolithic on into historic times, but it probably wasn’t until the late Bronze-early Iron Age that it realized its true importance as a center of government.

Additional Links

Mythical Ireland
Old Ireland
The Discovery Programme
Stones of Ireland