A slice of Knocknarea from a photo by Stefan Bergh. |
Queen Maeve's Cairn The Great Cairn of Knocknarea is a Neolithic monument, probably built 6,000 years ago. It is situated on the highest part of the flat top of Knocknarea, 327 m above the sea and is about 60 meters in diameter. Without a doubt it is one of Ireland's most imposing monuments, built in one of the most stunning and highly visible locations of any Passage cairn. There is a wide panoramic view for 30 km in all directions. The Cairn of Knocknarea is probably one of the best preserved monuments of its kind, and gives a fair idea of the original shape and form of these monuments - a truncated cone with a flat platform top.
The passage and chamber have remained hidden for at least 2,000 years. The cairn is said to be the resting place of Queen Maeve of Connaught, and its state of preservation is probably due to her fierce reputation. Maeve ruled Connaught from her palace at Rath Croghan near Tulsk in Roscommon, and she is best known for her role in the Tain Bo Culainge, where she led her province to war against Ulster to take the Brown Bull of Cooley, where Cuchulain single-handedly held off her army. That she chose to be interred in the Great Cairn of Knocknarea says something about its prestige as the most important and ancient sacred site in Connaught.
Gabrial Beranger's 1779 record of Queen Maeve's Cairn. Interestingly enough, the summit of Maeve's Cairn is at the same altitude as Cairn K at Carrowkeel, which is oriented to Queen Maeve's Cairn. If you draw a circle from Cairn K which touches Maeve's Cairn on Knocknarea, you would find that it also touches Maeve's Palace, the mound of Rathcroghan in Roscommon. Coincidence? Whatever the case, it is one of the most important and visually dominating neolithic monuments left in Ireland. |
