In the middle of the Ráith Na Ríogh or Royal Enclosure is a rather unique twin earthwork. From above it looks like a figure 8. I have never seen anything quite like it before. It is basically two separate ring forts with interconnecting ramparts. The fort to the east is known as Teach Cormaic or Cormac’s House. It is said to have been the home of one of Irelands most famous High Kings, Cormac Mac Airt. There is a lot of discrepancies in relation to Cormac’s Reign. But he is said to have ruled from Tara for 40 years during the time of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the Fenian Cycle. At one time this mound would have contained an oblong structure most likely constructed from wattle and thatch surrounding a series of large wooden posts. Cormac’s reign was said to have been a golden age for Tara with Cormac being credited for composing many of our ancient Brehon laws.
Although the mound is not particularly large for a hill fort, its banks are an impressive two meters in height and the internal area is about Seventy meters across. Sadly like the many other sites at Tara, there are no visable traces of what Tara might once have looked like in its day, so we are left to use our imaginations for this. There is a nearby barrow named after one of his daughters, Grainne whom eventually married the by now older warrior Fionn MacCumhaill. The story of Grainne is really interesting and quite similar in ways to the tragic Deirdre an Bhróin, but I’ll save that one until we make it over to Rath Grainne.
Most of what we know about Cormac comes from the Annals of Clonmacnoise. Although Cormac came from humble beginnings, his father Art mac Cuinn had previously been a High King of Ireland. Art was killed during the Battle of Maigh Mucruimhe, but the night before he had met with the Druid Olc Acha, whom some say offered his daughter Achtan to sleep with as he had fortold that Art would die in the forthcoming battle but would give rise to a great bloodline. That night as Achtan slept beside Art she had a vision in which she saw herself with her head cut off. From her neck grew a magnificent tree, with branches that spread across the width and breadth of Ireland. Then a great wave came and washed it away. Out of the roots of the first another tree grew, but this was blown away by a great wind. When she awoke, Achtan told Art of her dream and he explained it to her like this.
Her decapitated head represented him as head of the family, and he was destined to die in the following battle. The first tree was to be their son Cormac and the sea was the salmon bone on which he would choke. (Not a very fitting way for a king to die). The second tree would be his Cormac’s son Cairbre Lifechair whom would fall to the great wind that was the Fianna at the battle of Gabhra. The very next day Art was defeated by his nephew Lugaid mac Con whom became the new High King. The story of Cormac is far too great to tell here and probably deserves a post of its own to do it proper justice. Perhaps a tale for the winter months, when my opportunity for Ruinhunting diminishes. Suffice to say Cormac was stolen at birth by a she-wolf and raised in the caves of Kesh, Co. Sligo. After being found by a hunter, Cormac was eventually returned to his mother. He was raised with the help of Arts foster father Fiachrae Cassán. Then at the age of thirty, armed with his father’s sword, went to Tara and regained his father’s Crown from Lugaid mac Con. Today Teach Cormaic stands as a fitting reminder of one of Irelands best known High Kings.
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More great writing and photos! But it’s not so sad that we have to use our imaginations regarding what Tara looked like; I’d wager it looked exactly like what we all think it did, though our thoughts may differ. That’s what makes it magical.
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You know, your dead right, the magic is still there and our imagination is the key to open it all up 🙂
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Great story and the black and white photos have such a moody feel! Very suited to the tale.
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Thank you Noelle 🙂
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Great atmosphere in the sky photos there, Ed. Very suitable to the occasionally grim history of the place. The aerial shot was nice too, to put it all into perspective.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Loved the post, Ed. I think Cormac is a really interesting character. I thought about writing a post on him once, but there was so much, I couldnt do it
.. it would have turned into an epic series! Poor Nechtan though, being given to Art like a piece of meat by her father… and then having such a terrifying dream. I guess they thought quite differently than we do about what constitutes a relationship and family.
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You should do it, it would be great, I was going to give it a go but you could write a book on it 😉
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Well I have planned to write a series of Novellas on Kings and Heroes from Irish mythology. Cormac would be one, there is so much stuff on him. But I havent researched it at all. If I do it, its waaaaaaaaaay down the line! But you should definitely write about him on your blog. As you say, perfect for the winter months when you cant get out ruinhunting. 😊
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That’s a big task for little old me, might try something smaller first and build up to it👍
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I think you should have more confidence in yourself. People love your stories. Ive seen their comments on your blog, and I agree with them. You really should do it!
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Thanks Ali 🙂
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As long as one of you two do it, I’ll be happy 🙂
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I’ve read about Cormac in novels. Enjoyed seeing these sites. Must be amazing to stand there and feel the place and it’s history
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Oh absolutely, its such an amazing place, you can still feel the energy here. Visualy it dont look much like a cool Castle or the like. But it makes up for it in other ways 🙂
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Great post again Ed.
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Thans Mate 🙂
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Well done, Ed. I’m with Ali. ‘Never hide your light behind a bushel.’ Oh, and ‘don’t be too humble.’
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Oh ok thanks Jean, I shall try 🙂
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Good man!
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Ah, Uncle Cormac. Surprisingly the genealogist guy couldn’t confirm I’m a descendant of his 🙂
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Lol, I got the same issue with Ermron, oh well there is always. Brian Boru on my mother’s side 😁
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Thanks for sharing this, Ed. I didn’t know that particular legend.
I do think we understand personal relations in a very different way, today, but I also think we shouldn’t judge ancient relationships with today’s standards, but we should try to understands why anciet people though to interpersonal relatioships in a different way.
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My pleasure Sarah, I agree completely, Society was much different back then and probably alot easier in some ways. The one thing I never do is judge. Things are the way they are for a reason.
Unfortunatley when dealing with our ancient history and lore, we have huge problems, because the ancients were not so fond of writting things down, preffering the oral traditions. So much of what we now rely on was only recorded by the early christian monks, whom would have added their slant to these stories 🙂
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So true!
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