Hill of Tara
Teamhair | |
The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) atop the Hill of Tara, with the Mound of the Hostages in the background | |
| Location | County Meath, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°34′39″N 6°36′43″W / 53.57750°N 6.61194°W |
| Altitude | 155 m (509 ft) |
| Type | Ceremonial and burial site |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic–Iron Age |
| Cultures | Gaelic |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Currently the Irish Government through the Office of Public Works |
| Management | The Office of Public Works |
| Official name | Hill of Tara |
| Reference no. | 676 |
The Hill of Tara (Irish: Teamhair or Cnoc na Teamhrach) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Irish mythology. Tara consists of numerous monuments and earthworks—dating from the Neolithic to the Iron Age—including a passage tomb (the "Mound of the Hostages"), burial mounds, round enclosures, a standing stone (believed to be the Lia Fáil or "Stone of Destiny"), and a ceremonial avenue. There is also a church and graveyard on the hill. Tara forms part of a larger ancient landscape and Tara itself is a protected national monument under the care of the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Irish Government.