The north-eastern arc, towards the standing stone and habitation site above, with church mountain behind.
Image credit: ryaner
ryaner
The circle, with the glen between Slievecorragh and Church mountain behind, Summer Solstice 2014.
Image credit: ryaner
Hut site in the shadow of the ancestors – from right: Seahan, Corrig and Seefingan.
Image credit: ryaner
Hut site on Piperstown, about 7 metres long by 6 metres wide, looking from the back of the site towards the door. Kippure is the mountain with the aerial almost directly south, highest in Dublin and formerly capped with a cairn.
Image credit: ryaner
Taken from the NMR:
Description: Listed as a ‘standing stone’ in the SMR (1986) and as a possible ‘children’s burial ground’ in the RMP (1995). A roughly dressed granite pillar (H 1.77m; 0.27m x 0.26m), pierced by a rectangular slot (H 0.23m; Wth 0.11m) through the E and W faces c. 52cm from the top, reputedly marks the grave of Prince Aralt (Harold) one of the Danish chieftains killed in the Battle of Glenmama. It is also believed that the corner of the field in which the stone now stands was formerly a burial ground. (Walshe 1931, 135)
Compiled by: Matt Kelleher
Date of upload: 19 December 2012
Date of last visit: 20 July 1989
The badly eroded cairn as you approach from the path that leads up from the parking place directly south of the mountain.
Image credit: ryaner
Over the shoulder of the modern part of the cairn towards Seahan, Seefin and Seefingan.
Image credit: ryaner
The stone in its little paddock with Church mountain behind.
Image credit: ryaner
Attack of the killer yearlings looms behind the stone.
Image credit: ryaner
If the stone stood upright, the longer axis would point towards the tomb on top of Church mountain to the south-east AND the stone circle to the north-west.
Image credit: ryaner
Blurry zoom over the top of the stone towards the stone circle.
Image credit: ryaner
Looking south. the chasm on the left is about 60 metres deep.
Image credit: ryaner
This is the structure that Fourwinds noticed a few years back. It’s in the remains of its own mound and is some sort of satellite tomb, possibly a small undifferentiated passage tomb, or maybe a cist. It sits right up against the north-eastern arc of the passage grave.
Image credit: ryaner
Kerbstones on the southern arc of the monument, with Tallaght north over its shoulder.
Image credit: rayner
There’s some debate about whether this is a passage grave or a wedge tomb. It’s small and very ruined. Looking over it north towards the largest cairn.
Image credit: ryaner
These cairns are both in the shadow of Seefin and Seefingan. The trees block the view somewhat.
Image credit: ryaner
This stone has been drilled and smashed, an example of many other similar deliberately broken stones on both cairns.
Image credit: ryaner
Looking west towards the summit of Dowery hill over the upper cairn.
Image credit: ryaner
Seahan to the left, Seefingan and Seefin to the right, brood over the hut site just outside the enclosure bank/wall.
Image credit: ryaner
Interior view of the wall/bank on the northern and best preserved part of the enclosure.
Image credit: ryaner
Wall and exterior ditch on the best preserved part of the enclosure.
Image credit: ryaner
Hut site just outside the northern arc of the enclosure.
Image credit: ryaner
Looking south-east toward Sorrel Hill and Lugnagun.
Image credit: ryaner
Small cairn inside the enclosure with Seefingan and Seefin watching over.
Image credit: ryaner
A hard one to survey without wellies.
Image credit: ryaner
Sunken, boggy interior of this enclosure/rath.
Image credit: ryaner
The horribly overgrown Broomfields portal tomb – compare this with the first shot here by Megaman.
Image credit: ryaner
HAVE YOU EVER wondered about how archaeologists discover the story of the past? In the second of three articles in an exclusive series for TheJournal.ie, archaeologist Neil Jackman will take you behind the scenes of the exciting excavations at Tlachtga (The Hill of Ward) in Co Meath.
A team of volunteer archaeologists led by Dr Stephen Davis from UCD and site director Caitríona Moore, are attempting to discover the story behind one of Ireland’s most enigmatic sites.
Gardaí are investigating vandalism to the Lia Fáil – the standing stone at the top of the Hill of Tara in Co Meath.
A garda spokesman confirmed that green and red paint was poured over the stone overnight.
At least 50% of the 5,000-year-old granite has been covered by the paint.
In 2012 the stone was damaged when pieces of it were hacked off with an ax.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan described last night’s vandalism as “truly shameful”.
“This is an act of cultural vandalism,” said Ian Doyle, archaeologist and head of conservation with the Heritage Council.
He said local people and others “have a close relationship with the Hill of Tara and this is an assault on their sense of pride and the respect, love and affection they have for it.”
Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information to contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111.
m.rte.ie/news/touch/2014/0529/620400-hill-of-tara-vandalism/