The Hill of Tara, known as Temair in Gaeilge, was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland – 142 kings are said to have reigned there in prehistoric and historic times. In ancient Irish religion and mythology Temair was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld.

Saint Patrick is said to have come to Tara to confront the ancient religion of the pagans at its most powerful site

A new theory suggests Tara was the ancient capital of the lost kingdom of Atlantis. The mythical land of Atlantis is Ireland, according to a new book.

For more information see http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/tara/

We are also proud to house our own fine art collection in our lobby depicting images associated with the Hill Of Tara.  click here for more info on the artist & paintings...

Once upon a time…The Tara Brooch

The Tara Brooch had an inauspicious beginning in our history when it was washed up from the Irish Sea and some little children happened upon it. The story goes that the Mother of said children managed to sell the piece of jewellery for 18p to a local watchmaker.

The watchmaker not having use for it in his own shop, sold it to a Dublin Jewellery store for the handsome sum of £12. The Dublin Jewellers recognizing some fine work widely displayed the piece in their shop window naming it ‘The Royal Tara Brooch’. The title gave it some notoriety but there was no known history to back the insinuation of greatness.

After a time, the Tara Brooch was sold to the Royal Irish Academy for £200 a worthy profit from its original deemed value. The style and workmanship of the Tara Brooch was studied and experts were of the belief that it came from an era of Celtic times probably pre dating the eighth century no less.

A certain design in its intricate ornamentation, known as the divergent-spiral or trumpet-pattern, had disappeared from Irish art at about that period. The base of the jewel is not silver, as first thought, but a compound of tin and copper. However, the beautiful gold filigree is what makes it so famous.

The Tara Brooch is not enriched with stones of any great value, however, the splendour of the artistry and delicacy of the metal work reveals a masterpiece unlikely to have been crafted by an ancient goldsmith.

Even though this is a primitive piece of jewellry, today's skilful jeweller would find his artistry inferior to the Tara Brooch. With all of the advances in jewellry making, the workmanship of the brooch would be nearly impossible to copy. No description can do it justice. The Tara Brooch must be seen to be appreciated.

For more information see http://www.littleshamrocks.com/Tara-Brooch.html

Located 40 minutes drive from CityNorth Hotel