Irish History
And
The Fighting Irish
And
The Fighting Irish
( The Hill of Tara continued )
The
Mound of the Hostages, was used for burials from the early Neolithic up to 1600-1700 BCE. There are
an estimated 250-500 bodies buried in the mound, organised into layers under the passage. The dead were most often cremated and their ashes and grave goods spread on the floor of the tomb. These grave goods include decorative pottery and urns, stone beads, and bone pins. The remains were then covered with stone slabs. With this method, layers of ashes and stone built up over time and successive burials. More burials occurred at this site in the the Bronze Age, and space in the passage eventually became unavailable, so the bodies were therefore placed in the mound itself. Over 40 remains have been removed from the mound. They had been buried in the Bronze Age style, with inverted cinerary urns placed over the cremation ashes. The full body of a Bronze Age adolescent was also discovered in the mound. The body was placed in a crouched position in a simple pit dug in the mound. Grave goods found with the body included a decorated bead necklace, a bronze knife, and a bronze awl
a suggestion that he was a person of some importance.
Official excavations at the Hill of Tara in the 1950s revealed circles of post holes, indicating the construction of substantial buildings. In its heyday Tara must have been impressive. The great beautiful hill was dotted with seven duns, and in every dun were many buildings. The greatest structure there was the Mi-Cuarta, the great banqueting hall, which was the Ard-Righ's ( High King ) own dun. These was also the House of a Thousand Soldiers, the ancient poet tells us. Each of the provincial Kings had, on Tara, a house that was set aside for him when he came up to attend the great parliament. There was a Grianan ( sun-house ) for the provincial Queens, and their attendants. The stronghold of the Hostages was one of the structures. Another was the star of the Bards - a meeting
house for the poets and the historians, the doctors and judges. This latter was built by Cormac. He also rebuilt the great banqueting hall, the Mi-Cuarta, wherein at the great triennial Feis, all the Kings and chiefs and nobles, the Ollams or doctors, the Brehons or judges, the Files or poets and the Seanachies or historians, were seated according to rank.
a suggestion that he was a person of some importance.
Official excavations at the Hill of Tara in the 1950s revealed circles of post holes, indicating the construction of substantial buildings. In its heyday Tara must have been impressive. The great beautiful hill was dotted with seven duns, and in every dun were many buildings. The greatest structure there was the Mi-Cuarta, the great banqueting hall, which was the Ard-Righ's ( High King ) own dun. These was also the House of a Thousand Soldiers, the ancient poet tells us. Each of the provincial Kings had, on Tara, a house that was set aside for him when he came up to attend the great parliament. There was a Grianan ( sun-house ) for the provincial Queens, and their attendants. The stronghold of the Hostages was one of the structures. Another was the star of the Bards - a meeting
house for the poets and the historians, the doctors and judges. This latter was built by Cormac. He also rebuilt the great banqueting hall, the Mi-Cuarta, wherein at the great triennial Feis, all the Kings and chiefs and nobles, the Ollams or doctors, the Brehons or judges, the Files or poets and the Seanachies or historians, were seated according to rank.
There every warrior sat under his own shield, which hung upon the wall above the place reserved for for its owner. The Upper end of the Hall was reserved for the Ollams, the Brehons, the Files, the Seanachies, the Musicians, and other prfessors of learned arts and sciences. The Lords of territories occupied one side of the hall, and the Captians of armies the other side.
When a banquet was spread in the Hall of Mi-Cuarta or when a session of the Feis was to begin, the following was the form gone through: The Hall was first cleared of all but three, a genealogist, a marshal and a trumpeter. Then at a word from the marshal the trumpeter sounded his horn, in response to which came the shield bearers of the chiefs and nobles, gathering at an open door. The marshal took the shield of each, and under the direction of the genealogist, hung it in its proper place, above the seat that was thereby reserved for its owner. A econd time the trumpeter sounded his horn - which now brought to the door the shield bearers of the Captains. Then the marshal under the direction of the genealogist, hung the warriors' shields in order. Again the trumpeter blew a blast. And to this third blast answered the nobles and the warriors, who filed in and took each his place beneath his own shield, so that there was neither confusion nor contention for places among them.
The great feis was held at Samain ( Hallowday ) It lasted for three days before Samain and three days after. But the Aonach or great fair, the assembly of the people in general, which was a most important accompaniment of the Feis, seems to have begun much earlier. At the gathering in the Mi-Cuarta, the Ard-Righ of Eirinn sat mid-way of the hall, facing West, the King of Ulster sat at his right hand, the King of Munster on his left, the King of Leinster faced him, and the King of Connaught sat behind him. Naturally at such state assemblies the participants arrayed themselves in such splendour as those ages sanctioned. Cormac McArt's appearance at the Feis of Tara is thus colourfully desribed by one of the ancient poets:
When a banquet was spread in the Hall of Mi-Cuarta or when a session of the Feis was to begin, the following was the form gone through: The Hall was first cleared of all but three, a genealogist, a marshal and a trumpeter. Then at a word from the marshal the trumpeter sounded his horn, in response to which came the shield bearers of the chiefs and nobles, gathering at an open door. The marshal took the shield of each, and under the direction of the genealogist, hung it in its proper place, above the seat that was thereby reserved for its owner. A econd time the trumpeter sounded his horn - which now brought to the door the shield bearers of the Captains. Then the marshal under the direction of the genealogist, hung the warriors' shields in order. Again the trumpeter blew a blast. And to this third blast answered the nobles and the warriors, who filed in and took each his place beneath his own shield, so that there was neither confusion nor contention for places among them.
The great feis was held at Samain ( Hallowday ) It lasted for three days before Samain and three days after. But the Aonach or great fair, the assembly of the people in general, which was a most important accompaniment of the Feis, seems to have begun much earlier. At the gathering in the Mi-Cuarta, the Ard-Righ of Eirinn sat mid-way of the hall, facing West, the King of Ulster sat at his right hand, the King of Munster on his left, the King of Leinster faced him, and the King of Connaught sat behind him. Naturally at such state assemblies the participants arrayed themselves in such splendour as those ages sanctioned. Cormac McArt's appearance at the Feis of Tara is thus colourfully desribed by one of the ancient poets:
Splendidly does Cormac come into this great assembly; for the equal of his
Form has not appeared, excepting Conaire Mor, son of Eidersgeal; or Concocar, the son of Cathbad; or Aengus, the son of the Daghda.
Beautiful was the appearance of Cormac in that assembly. Flowing, slightly
Curling, golden hair, upon him. A red buckler, with stars and animals of gold
And fastenings of silver, upon him. A crimson cloak in wide descending folds
Upon him, fastened at his breast by a golden brooch set with precious stones.
A nec-torc of gold around his neck. A white shirt, with a full collar, and inter-
Twined with red gold thread, upon him.
A girdle of gold inlaid with precious stones around him. Two wonderful shoes
Of gold, with runnings of gold upon him. Two spears with golden sockets in
His hand, and with many rivets of red bronze. And he was besides himself
Symmetrical and beautiful of form, without blemish or reproach.
Form has not appeared, excepting Conaire Mor, son of Eidersgeal; or Concocar, the son of Cathbad; or Aengus, the son of the Daghda.
Beautiful was the appearance of Cormac in that assembly. Flowing, slightly
Curling, golden hair, upon him. A red buckler, with stars and animals of gold
And fastenings of silver, upon him. A crimson cloak in wide descending folds
Upon him, fastened at his breast by a golden brooch set with precious stones.
A nec-torc of gold around his neck. A white shirt, with a full collar, and inter-
Twined with red gold thread, upon him.
A girdle of gold inlaid with precious stones around him. Two wonderful shoes
Of gold, with runnings of gold upon him. Two spears with golden sockets in
His hand, and with many rivets of red bronze. And he was besides himself
Symmetrical and beautiful of form, without blemish or reproach.
In recent times two splendid gold torcs ( bands of twisted gold worn around the neck ) were discovered at Tara. One of them being five feet seven inches in length, wieghing twenty-seven ounces, and the other of a large size as also, and weighing twelve ounces. Both of them are beautifully wrought.
At thie Feis the ancient laws were recited, and confirmed, new laws were enacted, dispputes were settled, grievances adjusted, wrongs righted. And in accordance with the usual form at all such assemblies, the ancient history of Ireland was recited, probably by the High King's seanachie, who had the many other critical seanachies attending to his every word, and who, accordingly dare not seroiusly distort or prevaricate. This constant and continued repetition, down through the ages, of the ever lengthening history - repeated, too, almost always in the presence of many critics - fixed the facts of the past story, and familiarised them to all the people. And while plenty of poetic colouring and artistic exageration was undoubtedly permitted to the poet-historian the basic method of recording and transmitting the country's history, in verse, too, which was practised for a thousand years before the introduction of writing, and the introduction of Christianity - and which continued to be practised for long centuries after these events - was a highly practical method, which effectively preserved for us the large facts of our country's history throughout a thousand of the years of dim antiquity, when the history of most other countries is a dreary blank.
Every prince had his own seanachie, a man who having studied twelve years under masters, was well versed in the history of Ireland in general and in the history of his own principality, in particular. For more easy memorising and thus familiarising the mulitude of people with the facts and the more surely to guard against incorrect repitition, all Irish histories and chronicles were, in these early ages cast in verse. For the seanachie had to make the studies of a poet as well as of an historian, and to have intimate aquaintance with the hundreds of kinds of Irish verse. And since all minor assemblies, and even small gatherings, the seanachie was constantly requisitioned for the purpose of reciting passages of history, all of the people down to the humblest had that pride of race, of clan, and of family, which results from familiarity with their great achievments. Their marvellously organised methods of recording and transmitting history signalises the Gael among the peoples of ancient time - just as their ancient Parliament signalised them. As from the great heart and centre of the Irish Kingdom - five great arteries or roads radiated from Tara to the various parts of the country - the Slighe Cualann, which ran toward the present County Wicklow: The Slighe Mor, the great Western road, which ran via Dublin to Galway; The Slighe Asail which ran near the present Multingar: The Slighe Dala, which ran Southwest: And the Slighe Midluachra, Norther road.
Great, noble and beautiful truly was our Tara of the Kings.
At thie Feis the ancient laws were recited, and confirmed, new laws were enacted, dispputes were settled, grievances adjusted, wrongs righted. And in accordance with the usual form at all such assemblies, the ancient history of Ireland was recited, probably by the High King's seanachie, who had the many other critical seanachies attending to his every word, and who, accordingly dare not seroiusly distort or prevaricate. This constant and continued repetition, down through the ages, of the ever lengthening history - repeated, too, almost always in the presence of many critics - fixed the facts of the past story, and familiarised them to all the people. And while plenty of poetic colouring and artistic exageration was undoubtedly permitted to the poet-historian the basic method of recording and transmitting the country's history, in verse, too, which was practised for a thousand years before the introduction of writing, and the introduction of Christianity - and which continued to be practised for long centuries after these events - was a highly practical method, which effectively preserved for us the large facts of our country's history throughout a thousand of the years of dim antiquity, when the history of most other countries is a dreary blank.
Every prince had his own seanachie, a man who having studied twelve years under masters, was well versed in the history of Ireland in general and in the history of his own principality, in particular. For more easy memorising and thus familiarising the mulitude of people with the facts and the more surely to guard against incorrect repitition, all Irish histories and chronicles were, in these early ages cast in verse. For the seanachie had to make the studies of a poet as well as of an historian, and to have intimate aquaintance with the hundreds of kinds of Irish verse. And since all minor assemblies, and even small gatherings, the seanachie was constantly requisitioned for the purpose of reciting passages of history, all of the people down to the humblest had that pride of race, of clan, and of family, which results from familiarity with their great achievments. Their marvellously organised methods of recording and transmitting history signalises the Gael among the peoples of ancient time - just as their ancient Parliament signalised them. As from the great heart and centre of the Irish Kingdom - five great arteries or roads radiated from Tara to the various parts of the country - the Slighe Cualann, which ran toward the present County Wicklow: The Slighe Mor, the great Western road, which ran via Dublin to Galway; The Slighe Asail which ran near the present Multingar: The Slighe Dala, which ran Southwest: And the Slighe Midluachra, Norther road.
Great, noble and beautiful truly was our Tara of the Kings.
