Hill of Tara

Hill of Tara

Teamhair
The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) atop the Hill of Tara, with the Mound of the Hostages in the background
Shown within island of Ireland
Location	County Meath, Ireland
Coordinates	53°34′39″N 6°36′43″W / 53.57750°N 6.61194°W / 53.57750; -6.61194
Altitude	155 m (509 ft)[1]
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
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Hill of Tara
Reference no.	676

The Hill of Tara (Irish: Teamhair or Cnoc na Teamhrach)^[2] 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.