Hill of Ward
The Hill of Ward ( Irish Tlachta , older Tlachtgha ) is an earthwork of about 150 m in diameter between Athboy and Ráth Chairn in County Meath in Ireland .
The four-walled earthwork, dated to AD 200, got its English name from the landowner Ward, who was driven from his land during the invasion of Oliver Cromwell in 1649. The family whose ancestors owned the hill still reside in County Meath today .
The earthwork, into which older burial mounds were integrated, was still the site of major festivals in the Middle Ages, including Samhain , the forerunner of modern Halloween . In Irish mythology, it is associated with the figure of the Tlachtga , a druid who gave birth to triplets on the hill, died giving birth and is said to be buried here. The hill is later associated with the Kings of Mide (Meath). In 1168, Ruaidhrí Ua Conchobair , known as the Irish High King , held a meeting here. It is an Irish national monument .
Recent archaeological research confirmed that the Hill of Ward was used as a ritual site. Joe Fenwick sees parallels with the Rathra Ring Fort in County Roscommon .
literature
- Erin Mullally: "Samhain Revival" . Archaeological Magazine. November / December 2016. pp. 34–37.
- Rob Vance: Secret Sights: Unknown Celtic Ireland. Gill & Macmillan 2003
- Peter Harbison : Guide to the Naional Monuments in the Republic of Ireland Gill and Macmillan, Dublin 1970 ISBN 0-7171-1956-4 p. 185
- JH Brennan: A guide to megalithic Ireland Aquarian Press 1994 ISBN 1-85538-270-9 p. 38
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 37'32.3 " N , 6 ° 53'19" W.