Knocknarea, Sligo

I went up to Sligo to see Máire last Sunday. One sight that caught my eye when I was there was Knocknarea, which you can see as you approach her house. I never knew that Sligo was so rich in ancient tombs. Carrowmore, at the foot of Knocknarea, is the site of many megalithic tombs, which, according to Wikipedia, are estimated to date back to between 5,400 BC and 3,500 BC.

There is a cairn at the top of Knocknarea, which is said to be the tomb of Queen Maeve. I found more interesting bits about Knocknarea on another website. Here is a bit I copied from it: "Of course we have no idea whatsoever why the Neolithic Irish around 3000 BC decided to lug 40,000 tons of stone to the hilltop, but whatever their motivation was it must have been something really important.

According to the Celts, who saw themselves confronted with the same question, the cairn was the tomb of Queen Madb. The legendary Queen Madb was once the Queen of Connacht and a fierce warrior. She invaded Ulster and challenged Cú Chulainn, also known as the Hound of Ulster. It is said that Queen Madb is buried facing north in full armour, prepared to defend Connacht against dangers from the North.

Because Queen Madb's Tomb precedes the arrival of the Celts by several millennia it is unlikely that Queen Madb is really buried in this cairn. Nevertheless the idea of a dreaded warrior Queen defending Connacht had a certain appeal for the Irish and Queen Madb kept her prominent position in the Celtic pantheon into more recent times."

If anything, it's a good story. I can't take credit for the lovely pictures above. I found the top picture on the site of Ronnie Gillanders & Co, Auctioneers. And the 2nd picture was copied from the NUI Galway website. Next time, I must bring a good camera and go explore the area a little bit more. Máire, be warned, I'll be back!