Hill of Tara - OPW

Today is the last day the OPW guide service at Hill of Tara visitor centre will be available for 2024. Thank you to the almost 28,000 visitors we welcomed through the doors this Summer. The Hill is open access and is accessible at any time. Enjoy your visit. Heritage Ireland

Thank you Carol (a regular visitor) for bringing this beautiful bouquet to the visitor centre today. This is the start of our last week of the season here. The audiovisual and guided tours are available daily. Free of charge.

A very wet and misty day here at Hill of Tara. The photos are looking over to the East towards The Mound of the Hostages
"Dumha na nGiall" . This is a passage tomb dating back over 5000 years. There is one decorated stone inside the passage with the same artwork that is found in tombs throughout Europe. This little tomb at Tara contained more Neolithic remains -approx 260, than any other grave in Ireland Ireland

As the skies clear over Tara.....In the distance St Patrick is looking over at The hill of Skryne. Originally named " Achall" the name Skreen derives from Scrin Choluim Chille. Dedicated to St Colmcille the belltower remains largely intact.

Childrens tours this Saturday and Sunday 11am and 1pm. These tours are free and will last approx one hour ( including Audiovisual) Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please make your way to the visitor centre on the Hill. We look forward to welcoming our younger visitors.

Today LMFM broadcast their lunch time show with Gerry Kelly from Tara. OPW guide Margaret Brady chatted to Gerry about the guide service at Hill of Tara and some of the myths /legends

A fantastic " Turn at Tara" yesterday to celebrate Heritage Week. Poet Aifric MacAodha, writer Louise Kennedy, singer Lisa Lambe accompanied by Vincent Lynch, with Paul Muldoon and Susan McKeown entertained a delighted audience. Thank you everyone who made this event so special.

Happy Heritage Week everyone. To celebrate we have a quiz with all things Hill of Tara related, some tricky questions and some not. The answers will be published Sunday 25th August. We have some prizes in the visitor centre for the first 5 correct entries if you wish to drop in your competed quiz. ( Unfortunately we cannot post your prize. You need to collect it in person) Feel free to contact us on FB if you need any help.
We also have hard copies in the visitor centre.

Heritage Week Hill of Tara 2024
This year to celebrate Heritage Week we will have tours for children. These will take place on Saturday 17th and 24th August and Sunday 25th at 11am and 1pm.
These are free tours and we ask that you reserve your places by calling the visitor centre 046 9025903. Children must be accompanied by an adult and spaces are limited on each tour. Allow an hour for your visit with us.

Feis Teamhra/A Turn at Tara, which features readings and performances by internationally recognized Irish writers and musicians, will be held from 3pm and on Sunday August 18 2024 in the Visitors’ Centre on the Hill of Tara, County Meath.

This year's guests are poet Aifric MacAodha, prose fiction writer Louise Kennedy, and singer-songwriter Lisa Lambe.

The event is organized by Susan McKeown and Paul Muldoon and supported by Poetry Ireland and the Office of Public Works. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Previous guests over the years have included John Banville, Kevin Barry, Sebastian Barry, Eavan Boland, Paul Brady, Cormac Breatnach, Moya Brennan, Michael Brunnock, Harry Clifton, Ultan Conlon, Steve Cooney, Anne Enright, Wendy Erskine, Peter Fallon, Len Graham, Eamon Grennan, Hugo Hamilton, Kerry Hardie, Seamus Heaney, Laoise Kelly, Michael Longley, The Lost Brothers, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Colum McCann, Stephen McCardle, Danielle McLaughlin, Paula Meehan, Mongoose, Fiach Moriarty, Sinead Morrissey, Paul Murray, Eilean Ni Chuilleanain, Padraigin Ni Uallachain, Joseph O’Connor, Iarla O’Lionaird, Declan O’Rourke, Glenn Patterson, Sive, Colm Toibin, David Wheatley, and Macdara Woods.

A busy day here at Tara. The site is looking fantastic and with 100 acres of land to explore it is an ideal day out.
Photo Margaret

The sun is shining today on the Hill. Our visitor centre opens at 10am. Call in and watch our Audio Visual film. It is avail in 7 languages, lasts 20 minutes and is free.
Guided Tours are offered on request throughout the day.
Photo Jasmina

This photo taken on the Hill of Tara is from 20 July 2021. No filters, no edits, just a stunning sunset. If you have any photos of the rising or the setting sun at the Hill we would love to see them. Photo Margaret

Located in the graveyard are 2 stones - Blocc and Bluigne. Irish mythology tells us that they guarded the entrance to Tara and only parted if the ideal candidate for Kingship approached. ( they were originally so close together only a hand could pass through them).
The archaeology of the smaller stone however suggests that it is a Bronze Age standing stone while the taller one is Medieval, coming from the earlier church on the site. It is also known as Adamnans Pillar. In the rear of the picture is the only surviving wall from that church. A Sheela na Gig can be seen on the base of the stone. Photo Clodagh

At the base of the stone you can see a "Sheela na gig" which is a female fertility symbol. This Sheela probably dates from the second church which was built on the site in the Medieval period. Sheelas are found throughout Ireland and the UK . Our Sheela can be found in the graveyard here at Hill of Tara, just ask the guides in the visitor centre if you have any trouble finding her. Photo Clodagh

Looking up at The Forradh from the western side of Tara. The site comprises approx 100 acres of state owned land and is accessible at any time. The earliest monument is Dumha na nGiall, a Neolithic passage tomb dating back to 3200 B.C.

The Pentecost window which faces East in St Patrick's church on The Hill of Tara. The window was painted by the celebrated artist Evie Hone. It was commissioned in 1932 to mark 1500 years of Christianity in Ireland and was installed in 1935. Hone has windows in The Tate Gallery London (The Crucifixion), Eton College and The National Gallery ( The Resurrection) among others.
The visitor centre is open daily from 10am.
Photo Margaret

4 seasons in one sky. Looking south on to The Forradh at Hill of Tara. An Forradh translates as Royal Seat and is a Bronze Age burial site that was later used for the inauguration of the Kings of Tara. There were 142 historical Kings at Tara. The last, Malachy II ,died in 1022AD.

Yesterday at Hill of Tara in glorious sunshine, a visitor from New York, Dean, chose our beautiful site to pop the question to Fiona.
She said YES.
Congratulations Dean and Fiona, we wish you every happiness.
Photo Margaret

St. Patrick welcoming the rising sun on the 20th June .
📷Margaret

What a beautiful sunrise this morning on the Hill of Tara. Happy Summer Solstice everyone☀️
📷Margaret

Beautiful day on the Hill of Tara as we await the arrival of the longest day
The Hill of Tara is on 100 acres of state owned land.
📷Margaret