hill of tara

Famous as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, the Hill of Tara has been an important site since the Stone Age, when a passage tomb was constructed. Tara was a political and religious centre in early Christian times and though it declined in importance as Christianity spread in Ireland, the site still retains its air of mysticism.
Today the ruins are sadly deserted, poignant reminders of what once was, but from atop the hill the visitor can still experience some of the magic which first drew kings to Tara. A magnificent panorama unfolds before the eye, though the concept of an all-powerful High-King of Ireland is largely mythical, there can be little doubting the importance of one who controlled such a strategic location as Tara.
Primarily an Iron-Age fortress (circa 500 B.C.) remains of an older neolithic passage-grave (c.1800 B.C.) have also been unearthed. However, it was not until the reign of the legendary Cormac MacAirt in the 3rd century A.D. that Tara reached the pinnacle of its splendour.