Hill Of Tara

As a Meath native I have been coming to The Hill of Tara since I was a child but it is only visiting now as an adult that I can really appreciate what a magical little place it is.
Having brought lots of visiting friends to see it over the last few years I would say It is important to manage expectations as there isn’t really a whole lot to see — unless you know what you’re looking at. You can read up on it before you go or get a guided tour — but once you realise the significance of where you are standing I think anyone would be impressed. The views from «Lia Fail» the big standing stone which translates as «The Stone of Destiny» are breathtaking. This is the spot in Tara where the high kings of Ireland were crowned and the legend says that when a true king stood there the stone would roar. When you stand here it’s hard not to get goosebumps. There are lots of other points of interest once you know what you are looking for !
Some words of warning it is very open and can be quite mucky so I wouldn’t recommend heading out here when the weather is bad.
When you are suitably windswept and have walked your legs off Maguires café is a really nice little spot. They have lovely home made food and hot drinks — and my favourite the fresh scones !! There is a also a little craft shop which the tourists love !

Visited April 2015
We traveled 15 minutes way from Castle Trim– to see the Hills of Tara where the Kings of Ireland used to meet for politician and spiritual needs. The visitors center was closed so we just took pictures of the place. This is also a part of your Heritage Card. Gorgeous surrounding views.

It’s beautiful here, but I feel a proper visit is enhanced by a knowledgeable guide as there is very little by way of remains of what was once an intensively used site. Recently I came with a guide who pointed out the small hillocks which are the remains of a clumsy dig by 19^th century fanatics calling themselves the British-​Israelites. They believed the Ark of the Covenant was buried at Tara because the Irish were the lost thirteenth tribe of Israel… or something. No, really, that was a thing.
Even if you don’t have a guide, the climb up the hill itself is fun and visiting the Liath Fáil is wonderful if you’re interested in Celtic history and religion. The view on a clear day is amazing, and of course in more recent history there’s the Monster Meeting of Daniel O’Connell to remember, and a commemoration of our nationalist dead that was put there in the 1970s (probably illegally). A fantastic spot to think about the history of this little island and its people.

wow this place is amazing ! i loved it. there was local in the entrance that was just hanging out and talking to tourist. they were super nice. i was just walking all over the hill and taking pictures. i found the fairy tree. they say you can make a wish on it. it was also a beautiful day!

Unfortunately it was SO windy and SO cold the day we were out on Hill of Tara, so I don’t think I could fully enjoy the experience. Our tour guide as very knowledgeable and told us about the historical significance of the place. While it’s interesting, you don’t see much, just hills and grass. At the end there is a quaint church and graveyard, complete with barren trees and cawing crows. Was like something out of a movie.
At the end, a crazy hailstorm started. Glad I made it into the bus in time.

I love ancient mythology, and I had to visit the Hill of Tara when I went to Ireland. The area is known as Temair in gaeilge, which was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland.
In ancient Irish mythology and spiritual veneration, Temair was the sacred place of dwelling for the deities. It was also the entrance to the otherworld. There is not much to look at today, but the beautiful grassy bluffs, a graveyard, and a small church.
However, the high point of my day was the strange apparition that I captured on film (see pictures). Isn’t that cool? What do you think it is? It was cloudy and misty when I went there, so it was the perfect time for taking spooky looking photographs. The scenery looked as it came from a Hitchcock thriller, but it looks very wicked amidst the hazy day, the gray skies, the squawking crows, and the eerie looking trees with contorted branches.

The seat of the High Kings of Ireland, and Ireland’s political and spiritual centre from ancient times until the 6^th century. At the hill’s summit, you will find the remains of a large Iron Age enclosure known as Ráith na Ríogh — the Fort of the Kings.
In the middle is a standing stone, the Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny), the spot where High Kings were crowned. According to legend, the stone would emit a scream if a series of challenges were met by the would-​be king, one that could be heard all over Ireland. Head along and see if it screeches — Ireland could do with a new leader.

The hill of tara is during celtic times was irelands political and spiritual capital. It is a site of world importance archaelogically. It also has come under threat with the development of the N3 motorway running in close proximity and has gained publicity form stars such as Charlize Theron and her irish boyfriend Stewart Townsend.

I was bit by the bug called genealogy… in the days when you had to travelled to local library’s.My late father was always talking about how he was going to go to see the Hill of Tara when he retired… sadly he died before he retired… he also talked about researching his family tree… if I asked how he knew about all these places he would say from my father who got it from his father and back into the mist of time… It was because of my father I started researching the family tree…
I just thought it was all just stories… now I am not so sure… He said we were descended from the Last ArdRigh (high king) of All Ireland… He called me his little seanachie (a teller of tales)…My tree was coming along OK… but I just wanted so much to go to the places he had talked about as he hadnt been able to go himself… So we arranged a holiday to see many of the places he had talked about…
We went various places in Ireland but kept what I thought was the best until last… As we travelled over from the West of Ireland to Meath… I longed to see the Hill of Tara… It had a misty beauty about it… as we drew nigh… Wisely the people of Meath had not attempted to make it into some sort of Theme Park… of wood and wattle… reconstruction…leThe vistor centre was housed in a wee church with a really good audio visual presentation… giving full weight to the romantic gend while making sense of the 4000 year old earthworks… which are the only structures to be seen apart from the Lia Fail… the stone of destiny… on which it is said the Kings of Tara… were crowned… and on which my father had wanted to sit…
The Origins of Tara are lost in the mist of time and as I sat there… thinking of my father .I glanced down at a leaflet… I had picked up in the visitor centre which said… it reached its height in the 3^rd Century AD during the reign of Cormac Mac Airt…
Suddenly the magic story telling of my Father and Tara… all became one… Just before I had left England for this holiday… I had recived the marriage certificate for my great grandfather Patrick Quinn to my Great Grandmother Ann McCart… I hadnt even shown it to my husband… but was it true… had my father spoke truly when he said …we were descended from the last ardrigh of tara…
On the mundane side there is a little shop and tearoom… the shop sells the nicer quality Irish Goods and they made a nice cup of tea and homebaked scones… Its just down a wee country road… it cost nothing to go and see Tara just a donation… in a box… From the top of the hill you can see some fabulous views across County MeaThe megalithic tomb called the Mound of the Hostages is the oldest monument on the Hill of Tara dating back to between 2500 B.C. and 3000 B.C. The passage, 4m in length and 1m wide, was subdivided by sillstones into three compartments each containing cremated remains… A wonderfully decorated stone can be viewed from the entrance gate. The engravings may represent the sun, moon or stars as religious symbols or maybe the stone was used as a prehistoric calendar.
The term passage tomb is disliked by those who consider megalithic mounds to be have been primarily astronomical observatories or sacred temples. In the case of Tara evidence of at least 200 individual cremations were found, so the passage tomb description is appropriate.
The hills at Loughcrew can be seen to the west from the top of the mound.
Long after the megalithic mound was constructed Tara became the seat of the High Kings of Celtic Ireland. The most famous of these was Cormac Mac Airt who reigned in the third century AD. One of the ring forts within the large hill fort known as the Royal Enclosure is known as Cormac’s House. The other ring fort known as the King’s Seat may actually be constructed around a prehistoric tomb