Pic: novopress

Ancient dolmen in Louth points towards Slieve Gullion for Summer Solstice Sunset It is known as the ‘Giant’s Load’ and, when you stand under the great capstone of Proleek Dolmen, it’s not difficult to see why. This huge boulder is reputed to weigh around 40 tonnes, yet it sits comfortably on top of three upright stones as if it was a sheet of paper and not a giant rock.

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Pic: gary

Episode 14, The Children of Lir, is now available and on the feed for download. The Children of Danu choose Bodb Dearg as a new High King for themselves much to King Lir’s displeasure. To bring the clans together, Bodb’s foster-daughter marries Lir and bears four beautiful children to him. Sadly she dies and Lir marries her sister, who in jealousy curses the Children and turns them all into swans.. This is the second and final part of two episodes telling the story of the Children of Lir which has to be one of the most famous of all Celtic tales. We discover the tragic end of the beautiful children.

We join the story as the Children of Lir are forced to flee their homeland and venture onto rough and icy seas.The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players - have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

THE World Archaeological Congress has urged the Government to ensure that no large commercial or residential development is allowed along the route of the controversial M3 motorway. And the forum, made up of practising archaeologists, has said that excavations carried out along the motorway route in Co Meath — which runs near the hill of Tara — were performed to the “highest professional standards”.

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You, our dear listeners, know how important Tara (Teamhair in the tales) is within the ancient myths of the Celts and now the full story has been revealed in an article published by the Epoch Times. They report that at the archaeological heart of Ireland, one of the most horrific acts of cultural desecration has been taking place for the last two years. Over 46 heritage sites and national monuments have already been destroyed,and the majority of us are oblivious, unaware that anything is happening.

The new M3 motorway is under construction in the Tara Skryne valley, Ireland. SIAC and Ferrovial road companies, with the support of the Irish government are building a motorway through valley. It has already cost more than 950 million euros (at the last count in March 2008), yet is only going to cut current journey time by a matter of minutes. The Navan Dublin rail link that has lain dormant for many years could have been re-opened for a fraction of the price or the existing N3 could have been expanded. This is an unnecessary and inexcusable desecration of heritage and waste of money.

The Irish government has gone against EU directives in building this road, destroying a site of world importance before it was properly researched or received the appropriate attention. The road builders are also contravening the human rights of the Irish people; the right to the protection of their archaeological and historical sites, religious and cultural sites.

Pic: indymedia

The Tara Skryne Valley is home to over 60 such sites, the oldest being more than 6,000 years old. The richness of the archaeology and history is practically unrivalled in Ireland. It is the land of Irish folklore, home of the Irish Kings, of the legendary Cu Chullain and Finn of the Fianna. The Hill of Tara holds the legendary Stone of Destiny. The dead from the Battle of Tara in the 1798 United Irishmen Rebellion lay in the valley; their bodies recently dug up and ploughed through in

one of the most disturbing acts of desecration in the road building to date. Daniel O’Connell held his monster meeting, the biggest ever gathering in Ireland, at Tara in 1843.

There were nine possible routes for the M3. The chosen route is the most archaeologically damaging. When looked at from a bird’s eye view it is a dot-to-dot of heritage sites, cutting through the highest concentrate of known archaeology in the valley. There has so far been no explanation for this choice of route, it being neither the cheapest nor the quickest. The current route is twenty minutes slower than the next slowest choice; a total of four believed to be quicker. For an expected saving of 100 million euros the route could have by-passed the valley completely.

Included in the sites already destroyed has been: a 6,000 year old grave yard; a 2,000 year old wood-henge housing a megalithic pattern-engraved stone; an ancient feasting ground of heroes and nobility; the first Christian settlement in Ireland and a set of twelve round-house style sou-terrains, largely intact and interconnected by a network of tunnels, representing the largest known complex of its kind in Ireland.

Pic: indymedia

The National Roads Authority has been lying continually in their official findings and covering up the discovery of important archaeological sites. The sou-terrain complex at Roes town was originally described by the NRA as a set of three and set of four roundhouses, of little archaeological value. Two days before evidence showing an intact group of twelve was published, their story changed, more closely representing true findings.

An archaeologist working on the Lismullen site was told for his first three weeks of work that there was no need for him to carry out any excavation but if questioned to say work was being done but nothing had been found. The archaeologist in question later joined the protest camp and has been involved in writing many of the archaeological reports published by the “Save Tara” campaign.

In July 2007, a royal feasting ground at Baronstown, was destroyed by diggers at 4am in the morning.

At Collierstown graves more than 6,000 year old, were left uncovered for months, open to the elements, with their bones eventually being plastered on the road and picked up by local school children.

Tara has lain for thousands of years as a sacred, spiritual place, it is sad this should be happening now, when we are finally beginning to realise the fragility of our land and importance of our past. When will we learn that there are things much more valuable than money? When it is too late?

The full text of various statements and petitions and more information can be viewed at www.archaeological.org and the “Save Tara” campaign’s website www.savetara.com .

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Pic: Mayo News

Those mythic worlds of Tir na nÓg and Hy Brazil are always proximate to the rural Mayo landscape. They teeter on the edge of its many alluring horizons. The cry of the tragic Children of Lir still echoes on Inishglóra, while the regal Celtic call of Danú and command of  Dagda are reincarnated in the rolling sun on ancient holy mountain, Crúachán Aigle – the pyramidal Croagh Patrick. The Mayo News reports on the 13th annual Bard Summer School.

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Episode 12, The Song of Amergin, is now available and on the feed for download. The Sons of Mil finally break through the magic of the Children of Danu and land on the shores of Erin. They demand recompense for the death of their kin and negotiations take place. Now it is up to the Tuatha De Danaan - will they fight, flee or come up with another plan? And yet, the great Bard Amergin also has a trick or two up his sleeve!

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

If you come to the site and listen - have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Welcome to the first in what we hope will become a regular feature. We are providing a mirror or an opportunity for bloggers to extend their audience and to provide our readers with some fascinating views on Celtic Mythology. If you have something to say, or have said something that you feel ought to be said about the world of the Celts, then let us know! All copyright rights will remain with you and full credit will, of course, be given. This is a blog by Kirsten Campbell, a student of Archaeology and Celtic Civilisation with a gift for the creative.  Kirsten is an aspiring writer of historical fiction and here she speculates about the possibilities of ancient prosthetics - artificial limbs. Her home on the web is Kirsten’s Scribbling Corner.

Ancient Prosthetics 101

I mentioned in my post on character names that Aelius, the Roman protagonist of my Severan novel, will later gain the epithet “Argentocoxos” (Silver Foot), the name of a Caledonian referred to once in passing in Cassius Dio’s account of Septimius Severus’ campaigns in northern Britain. The big question was: how do I get from “Aelius” to “Argentocoxos”? It was going to have to be a nickname of some sort, but why was Aelius going to end up being called “Silver Foot”? Continue Reading »

ARCHAEOLOGISTS working on excavations for the controversial M3 motorway feared they would be “sacked, blacklisted or bullied out of their profession” for not supporting the building of the chosen route, it was claimed last Thursday. Speaking at a debate on the motorway near Tara at the sixth World Archaeological Congress at UCD, Maggie Ronayne, a lecturer in the department of archaeology at NUI, Galway, said pressure was put on site directors and field teams by archaeologists employed by the National Roads Authority (NRA). Ms Ronayne said: “Lip service was paid to archaeology, but archaeologists were used to destroy our heritage,” said Ms Ronayne. “From the point of view of archaeology, the route chosen by the NRA was the least desirable, and other routes were not properly considered because they were not profitable for developers.”

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Episode 10, The Harp’s Voice Unleashed, is available for download and is on the feed. It completes the story of the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh from the Book of Invasions. Mighty Balor, the strong smiter, and the Fomori have invaded Ireland and the Tuatha De Danaan meet them on the field of Battle. After a bloody and epic struggle, Lugh kills Balor and the Fomori are beaten and driven back to the sea. Tired and weary, it is now time for the Children of Danu to count the cost…

In this episode, we also announce our final decision about the use of accents within the shows and introduce the Midsummer Special which will be available for download and on the feed in a week’s time.

Pic: Eire Sarah

TARA, Temor, Temhuir, or Temoria, is intimately connected with the early religion of Ireland, and has been associated with singular theories. As Tea-mur, it was the mount or home of Queen Tea, wife of the Milesian King Heremon. The centre of Druidical song and power, the seat of ancient royalty, Tara was a favourite subject of glorification by ancient annalists, and has been immortalized in the poem of Moore. But, while bards record a great assembly being held there 921 B.C., Dr. Petrie, the eminent antiquary, is disposed to regard the place as existing only between 200 and 300 years after Christ.

The high civilization at Tara has been a favourite subject for Bards. The old lady guide at Tara told us that only gold and silver vessels were used at the banquets. Dr. Ledwich laughs at the yarns about its twenty-seven kitchens, and its amazing bill of daily fare. He assures us that the story of Tara rests only upon the fragment of a fragment in the Seabright collection, that had neither the name of its author nor a date. The earliest Romish ecclesiastics, and mediæval writers, knew nothing of early Irish culture or wealth. Continue Reading »