Arms Around The Mound, Hill Of Tara Co Meath

Summer Solstice, Hill of Tara Co Meath. Thurs 21st June 2012

This year in addition to celebrating the traditional Summer Solstice greeting of the dawn on the longest day of the year, there will be other events at the Hill of Tara including a very special event at 2pm to publicise the Solar Alignment at the Mound of the Hostages.

The Arms Around The Mound event is intended to draw attention to the solar alignment at the mound especially now, at a time when it is undergoing necessary archaeological investigations. The alignment is similar to the Winter Solstice alignment at Newgrange in effect and though no less important, it is far less well known.

The Mound of the Hostages is the oldest monument still in existence on the Hill of Tara.

The alignment of the passage of the Mound of the Hostages towards the cross quarter days of Imbolc, start of spring and Samhain, the start of winter, two very ancient festivals which have their roots in the Neolithic, is not coincidental. Many passage-tombs have been shown to be aligned on significant solar and lunar events, and Dumha na nGiall is no exception.’

The Mound of the Hostages has been undergoing investigative work for the last six months, which will eventually lead to necessary repair and reconstruction work anticipated later in the year. Of concern to the Tara Skryne Preservation Group who are organising the 2pm event however, is the fact that this archaeological work began on the exact date of the solar alignment 8th Nov last year. The archaeologists working on the Mound admitted to the Group that they had no idea about the solar alignment.

Carmel Diviney, Secretary of TSPG said, “We call on the OPW and the Govt. to ensure that any remedial work done at the Mound of the Hostages will not disturb the alignment. This should be preserved intact for posterity as evidence of the accurate knowledge of the heavens and advanced scientific understanding of our ancestors. It is crucially important that the works underway on the Mound is sensitive to the astronomy.”

You are hereby cordially invited to join the Tara Skryne Preservation Group at the ARMS AROUND THE MOUND event at 2pm on Thurs 21st June.

Contact for further info : Carmel Diviney, Secretary, Tara Skryne Preservation Group. Ph: 0876100771 orcarmeldiviney@eircom.net