The Hill of Uisneach or Ushnagh ( ga, Uisneach or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial site in the barony of

Rathconrath Rathconrath () is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is situated on the R392 regional road west of Mullingar. Rathconrath is also one of the baronies in Co. Westmeath, see list of baronies of Ireland. Public transport Bus Éirean ...

in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is a protected national monument. It consists of numerous monuments and earthworks— prehistoric and

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

—including a probable

megalithic tomb A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

burial mounds A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones built ...

, enclosures, standing stones,

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guar ...

s and a medieval road. Uisneach is near the

geographical centre of Ireland The Geographical Centre of Ireland, according to an investigation and calculation carried out by the Official Irish Government Mapping Agency, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) published on the official OSI website on 24 February 2022 is near the co ...

, and in

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by Ch ...

it is deemed to be the symbolic and sacred centre of the island. Alwyn Rees and

Brinley Rees Brinley Roderick Rees (27 December 1919 – 21 October 2004) was a Welsh academic. He wrote extensively on Classics, particularly the study of the Greek language. His early work was devoted to Greek papyri; a later publication was devoted to ...

. ''Celtic Heritage.'' Thames and Hudson: New York, 1961. . pp. 159-161. It was said to be the burial place of the mythical

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gae ...

, and a place of assembly associated with the druids and the festival of

Bealtaine Beltane () is the Gaelic May Day festival. Commonly observed on the first of May, the festival falls midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The festival name is synonymous with the month marking th ...

. The summit is above sea levelOrdnance Survey map
. Select ''Wind Report'' option for contour map. Select ''Historic 6"'' option for townland boundaries. Retrieved 5 August 2010. and lies north of the R390 road, 8 km east of the village of Ballymore and beside the village of

Loughnavalley Louaghnavalley or Loughnavally () is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located at the crossroads of the R389 and the R390, to the west of Mullingar. The Hill of Uisneach stands to the west of the town, near the village of Killar ...

. The hill occupies parts of four adjacent

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

s: Ushnagh Hill, Mweelra, Rathnew, and Kellybrook. __NOTOC__

Name

The hill is called ''Uisneach'' in both Irish and English, with the alternative Irish name ''Cnoc Uisnigh'' meaning "hill of Uisneach". It is also anglicized as 'Ushnagh', such as in the name of the

. In Old and

Middle Irish Middle Irish, sometimes called Middle Gaelic ( ga, An Mheán-Ghaeilge, gd, Meadhan-Ghàidhlig), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of late Old Engl ...

it was spelt ''Uisnech''. Eric P. Hamp derives the name from

Proto-Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly reconstructed through the comparative method. Proto-Celti ...

*''us-tin-ako-'' meaning "place of the hearth" or "place of cinders".

T. F. O'Rahilly Thomas Francis O'Rahilly ( ga, Tomás Ó Rathile; 11 November 1882 – 16 November 1953)Ó Sé, Diarmuid.O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (‘T. F.’). ''Dictionary of Irish Biography''. (ed.) James McGuire, James Quinn. Cambridge, United Kingdom: C ...

derived it from *''ostinako-'' meaning "angular place".

Features

The site consists of a set of monuments and earthworks spread over two square kilometres. About twenty are visible, and the remains of at least twenty others have been identified under the ground. They include a probable

, enclosures, standing stones,

s and a medieval road. They date from the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

to the

early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

, showing that the site has been the focus of human activity for about 5,000 years.Schot, Roseanne (2006).
Uisneach Midi a medón Érenn: a prehistoric cult centre and royal site in Co. Westmeath
. ''Journal of Irish Archaeology'', issue 15. pp.39-46 Several sites were excavated in the 1920s by R.A.S. Macalister and R. Praeger. The summit has panoramic views, from which hills in at least twenty

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

can be seen. On the summit is the remains of a probable megalithic tomb, known as 'St Patrick's Bed', which was once surrounded by a ring ditch. Downslope to the east is a small lake known as ''Loch Lugh'' or ''Loch Lugborta'', and on a rise east of this is a burial mound known as ''Carn Lughdach'', which was also once surrounded by a ring ditch. South of these are two holy wells, one of which is known as ''Tobernaslath'' and sits beside a circular enclosure and standing stone. On the southwest side of the hill is a large, oddly-shaped limestone rock; a

glacial erratic A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundre ...

almost tall and thought to weigh over 30 tons. In prehistory an earthen bank was dug around it to mark it out as a special place.Schot, Roseanne (2011).
From cult centre to royal centre: monuments, myths and other revelations at Uisneach
, in ''Landscapes of Cult and Kingship'', Four Courts Press. pp.87–113 In Irish it is called the ''Ail na Míreann'' ("stone of the divisions"), as it is said to have been where the borders of the provinces met. It is nicknamed the Cat Stone, allegedly because it resembles the shape of a sitting cat. Site_of_Celtic_Festival_of_Bealtaine

The biggest monument at Uisneach is Rathnew, the remains of a figure-of-eight shaped earthwork. An early medieval road leads towards Rathnew from the foot of the hill.Schot, Roseanne (2006).
Uisneach Midi a medón Érenn: a prehistoric cult centre and royal site in Co. Westmeath
. ''Journal of Irish Archaeology'', issue 15. pp.47-66 Rathnew was originally one round enclosure marked by a ditch, with an eastern entrance. Inside it were several pits containing partly-burnt animal bones, each sealed with large flat stones. It appears that fires "had been kindled, and then suddenly quenched" with water or soil, in a ritual. There was also a large ash bed containing thoroughly-charred animal skeletons. This appears to have been "a sanctuary-site, in which fire was kept burning perpetually, or kindled at frequent intervals", where animal sacrifices were offered. Later, in the early medieval period, a large figure-of-eight shaped earthwork was raised on this site. It was a large round enclosure, with a smaller round enclosure joined to it, marked by a bank and ditch. Within each enclosure was a small stone building and a

souterrain ''Souterrain'' (from French ''sous terrain'', meaning "under ground") is a name given by archaeologists to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the European Atlantic Iron Age. These structures appear to have been brought north ...

. It is suggested that Rathnew at this time was a place of royal and religious gatherings, and may have served as a royal residence of the kings of Meath during these gatherings. The

Clann Cholmáin Clann Cholmáin is the dynasty descended from Colmán Már mac Diarmato, son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill — they were the kings of Mide (Meath) — they traced their descent to Niall Noígiallach and his ...

chieftains, who became kings of Meath, were styled "

Kings of Uisnech The Kings of Uisnech were of the Uí Néill and one of its major southern branches, the Clann Cholmáin. The Hill of Uisnech is located in what is now County Westmeath, and was in early historic Ireland considered as the area where all five provinc ...

" in early-medieval king lists. Romantic Ireland (1905) (14769773905)

There is also Tuar Uí Cobhthaigh / Toorcoffey (Coffey's Tower) named after the

brehon Brehon ( ga, breitheamh, ) is a term for a historical arbitration, mediative and judicial role in Gaelic culture. Brehons were part of the system of Early Irish law, which was also simply called " Brehon law". Brehons were judges, close in impo ...

law O'Cobhthaigh family who were known as the

filí The filí (singular: file) were members of an elite class of poets in Ireland and Scotland, up until the Renaissance. Etymology The word "file" is thought to derive from the Proto-Celtic ''*widluios'', meaning "seer, one who sees" (attested ...

or ollamhs of Uisneach.

In Irish mythology

, Uisneach is described as the sacred centre of Ireland, the burial place of Irish gods such as

Lugh Lugh or Lug (; ga, label= Modern Irish, Lú ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The Go ...

and

the Dagda The Dagda (Old Irish: ''In Dagda,'' ga, An Daghdha, ) is an important god in Irish mythology. One of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Dagda is portrayed as a father-figure, king, and druid.Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia ...

, the site of a

sacred tree A sacred tree is a tree which is considered to be sacred, or worthy of spiritual respect or reverence. Such trees appear throughout world history in various cultures including the ancient Greek, Hindu mythology, Celtic and Germanic mythologies. T ...

(the ''Bile Uisnig''), and a place of assembly (the ''mórdáil Uisnig'') associated with the druids, which, according to later tradition, was held during the festival of

. The ''Ail na Míreann'' ("stone of the divisions") in particular is described as the

navel The navel (clinically known as the umbilicus, commonly known as the belly button or tummy button) is a protruding, flat, or hollowed area on the abdomen at the attachment site of the umbilical cord. All placental mammals have a navel, although ...

of Ireland. It is seen as a kind of omphalos or

axis mundi In astronomy, axis mundi is the Latin term for the axis of Earth between the celestial poles. In a geocentric coordinate system, this is the axis of rotation of the celestial sphere. Consequently, in ancient Greco-Roman astronomy, the '' ...

of Ireland, a meeting place between the Earth and the

Otherworld The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...

and the source of creation. It is said to have marked the meeting point of the provinces. The ''

Dindsenchas ''Dindsenchas'' or ''Dindshenchas'' (modern spellings: ''Dinnseanchas'' or ''Dinnsheanchas'' or ''Dınnṡeanċas''), meaning "lore of places" (the modern Irish word ''dinnseanchas'' means "topography"), is a class of onomastic text in early Ir ...

'' ("lore of places") says that Uisneach is where the druid Mide lit a sacred fire that blazed for seven years. The tale ''Tucait Baile Mongáin'' ("Mongan's Frenzy") describes how a great hailstorm during an assembly on the hill created the twelve chief rivers of Ireland. In the ''

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...

'' ("Book of the Taking of Ireland"), the

Gaels The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic langu ...

( Milesians) meet the goddess

Ériu In Irish mythology, Ériu (; modern ga, Éire ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the Germanic (Old Norse or Ol ...

at Uisneach where, after some conversation and drama, the Milesian poet Amergin promises to give the land her name. She is said to be buried under the ''Ail na Míreann''. In mythology, Uisneach and Tara are said to be linked. In the literature, Tara is mainly associated with royal power, while Uisneach is mainly associated with spiritual power. Anciently, both locations had festivals or meetings every seven years – the Feast of Tara at

Samhain Samhain ( , , , ; gv, Sauin ) is a Gaelic festival on 1 NovemberÓ hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p. 402. Quote: "The basic Irish division of the year ...

and the Great Meeting of Uisneach at Beltane; at the Feast of Tara new laws were passed and councils formed. It was linked to Tara by the ancient road called the Slighe Assail; the modern R392 road mostly follows its route. The tragic tale of

Deirdre Deirdre ( , Irish: ; sga, Derdriu ) is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish legend and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is known by the epithet "Deirdre of the Sorrows" (). Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-know ...

and the "sons of Uisnech" or "sons of Uisliu" ( Naisi, Ardan and Ainle) is part of the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle ( ga, an Rúraíocht), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly coun ...

of Irish mythology.

Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiograph ...

's ''

Historia Regum Britanniae ''Historia regum Britanniae'' (''The History of the Kings of Britain''), originally called ''De gestis Britonum'' (''On the Deeds of the Britons''), is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. I ...

'' ("History of the Kings of Britain") says that

Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...

originally stood at the ' hill of Killare' (''mons Killaraus'') in Ireland, before being moved to Britain. This is thought to refer to Uisneach, as Killare is a place at the foot of the hill.

Name

Features

In Irish mythology

References

Further reading