Site Type: Passage Tomb
Irish Grid Ref: N9201059732
Location: Link to Bing Maps
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| View of the Mound of Hostages - Hill of Tara |
Description:
The passage tomb is described on Archaeology.ie as follows;
"Excavated in 1956-9, the remains comprise a mound, c. 21m in diam. and 3.5m high, covering an undifferentiated passage-tomb 4m long, opening to E and divided by three still stones. Cists and pits (ME031-033076-) inserted in mound. (Herity 1974, 252-3))"
Martin Brennan and his team are credited with identifying this alignment during their research in the early 1980s. The passage is approximately 4m long and as such sun light enters the passage for a number of weeks either side of the cross quarter day. The passage has a steel gate to the front of it to prevent access within and I am unaware of any key or other methods of gaining access. The gate can affect how the sun enters the mound as per the photograph below.
Links to photographs;
Picture of sun-rise in the passage by the www.modernantiquarian.com contributor Ken Williams
Links for further information;
More information on Tara at www.mythicalireland.com
