Rathcroghan () is a complex of archaeological sites near
Tulsk
Tulsk () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, on the N5 national primary road between Strokestown and Bellanagare. It is 19 km north of Roscommon town.
Heritage
Near Tulsk is Cruachan, an Iron Age (Gaelic) royal palace. As recou ...
in
County Roscommon
"Steadfast Irish heart"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Connacht
, subdi ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. It is identified as the site of Cruachan, the traditional capital of the
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...
, the prehistoric and early historic rulers of the western territory. The Rathcroghan Complex (Crúachan Aí) is a unique archaeological landscape with many references found in early Irish medieval manuscripts.
Located on the plains of
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
(Mag nAí/Machaire Connacht), Rathcroghan is one of the six Royal Sites of Ireland. This landscape which extends over six square kilometres, consists of over 240 archaeological sites, sixty of which are protected national monuments.
These monuments range 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 parts ...
(4000 – 2500 BC), through the
Bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
(2500 – 500 BC) and
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
(500 BC – 400 AD), to the early medieval period and beyond. These monuments include burial mounds, ringforts and medieval field boundaries amongst others. The most fascinating of these are the multi period Rathcroghan Mound, the mysterious cave of Oweynagat, the Mucklaghs – a spectacular set of linear earthworks - as well as the Carns medieval complex.
There are many interesting historic references to Rathcroghan (Ráth Crúachan) recorded in early medieval manuscripts, including the 12th century
Lebor na hUidre
The manuscript known as Lebor na hUidre (English translation: Book of the Dun Cow) is the oldest extant written in Gaelic (Irish), and the texts included therein recount Irish history through an eschatological lens. The Christian authors who c ...
. Rathcroghan is recorded as the location of one of the great fairs of Ireland, as well as being one of the island's three great heathen cemeteries. It is also the location for the beginning and end of a national epic tale – an ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...
'', and the royal seat of
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had seve ...
(Maeve), Connacht's Warrior Queen.
Rathcroghan is said to provide entrance to 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 Otherworld ...
, described in the medieval period as "Ireland's Gate to Hell", via Oweynagat (the Cave of the Cats). The cave has associations with the pagan festival of
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 ...
,
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
, as well as being described as the "fit abode" of Morrigan, a Celtic Goddess of pre-Christian Ireland.
Mythology
Origin
According to a ''
Dindshenchas
''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 ...
'' poem, Cruachan was named after Crochen, the handmaid of
Étaín
Étaín or Édaín (Modern Irish spelling: Éadaoin) is a figure of Irish mythology, best known as the heroine of ''Tochmarc Étaíne'' (''The Wooing Of Étaín''), one of the oldest and richest stories of the Mythological Cycle. She also figu ...
, a '' sídhe'' maiden reborn as a mortal. When Étaín is brought back to the Otherworld by her original ''sídhe'' lover
Midir
In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir (Old Irish) or Midhir (Modern Irish) was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith (believed ...
, Crochen accompanies them and on their way to Midir's underground palace they spend some time in a mound known as Síd Sinche.
Crochen is so impressed by this ''síd'' that she asks Midir if this is his palace. Because of her loyalty to Étaín and her respect to this dwelling, Midir gives it to her and names it in her honour before bringing Étaín to his palace at Bri Leith. At the end of the poem Crochen is mentioned as the mother of Medb.
The same poem mentions Cruachan as a royal cemetery: "Listen, ye warriors about Cruachu! With its barrow for every noble couple".
Ulster Cycle
Cruachan features heavily in 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 ...
as it was the home of one of its chief characters Queen
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had seve ...
. She had been given the kingdom of Connacht by her High-King father
Eochaid Feidlech
Eochu or Eochaid Feidlech ("the enduring"), was a High King of Ireland, according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions. He is best known as the father of the legendary queen Medb of Connacht.
Family
Eochu was son of Finn, son ...
who had de-throned the previous king Tindi Mac Conra over an act of treachery. It is unclear if Tindi had actually ruled the province from Cruachan or if had been built Medb.
Another story states that Cruachan had been ruled by the queen's sister, Clothru, before Medb herself had her killed. Vivid descriptions of the Western capital are given in ''
Fled Bricrenn
''Fled Bricrenn'' (Old Irish "Bricriu's Feast") is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Bricriu, an inveterate troublemaker, invites the nobles of the Ulaid to a feast at his new ''bruiden'' (hostel, banquet hall) at Dún Rudraige ( ...
'' ("Bricriu's Feast"), and this one in ''Táin Bó Fraích'':
:"Of pine the house was made; it is a covering of shingle it had externally. There were sixteen windows in the house, and a frame of brass, to each of them; a tie of brass across the roof-light. Four beams of brass on the apartment of Ailill and Medb, adorned all with bronze, and it in the exact centre of the house. Two rails of silver around it under gilding. In the front a wand of silver that reached the middle rafters of the house. The house was encircled all round from the door to the other."
Cruachan features at the start and end of the ''Táin Bó Cúailgne'' with the pillow talk in the royal residence, and concluding with the fight of the bulls, supposed to have taken place at Rath na dTarbh, one of the largest ring-forts on the site. Aside from the Ulster tales there are not many mythical descriptions of Connacht's main fort with one of the best examples occurring in a ''
Dindshenchas
''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 ...
'' poem on Carn Fráich. This poem deals with two figures of this name, one being the
Fráech
Fráech (Fróech, Fraích, Fraoch) is a Connacht hero (and half-divine as the son of goddess Bébinn) in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is the nephew of Boann, goddess of the river River Boyne, Boyne, and son of Idath of the men of Conna ...
of Medb's time and one who was a Connacht prince preceding Irelands division into Conn's and Eoghan's half, with this section of the poem describing Cruachan as a stone-built fortress.
Samhain
Cruachan seems to have heavy associations with the feast of
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 ...
, as it was during this time that the Irish believed that the prehistoric graves from before their time opened and their gods and spirits, who dwelt inside, walked the earth. The emerging of creatures from Oweynagat would be part of this belief. A legend based on this is "The Adventures of
Nera Nera may refer to:
People
* Nera Smajic (born 1984), Bosnian-born Swedish footballer
* Nera Stipičević (born 1983), Croatian actress
* Nera White (1935–2016), American basketball player
* André António Ribeiro Novais (born 1988), Portugue ...
", in which the warrior of the title is challenged to tie a twig around the ankle of a condemned man on Samhain night. After agreeing to get some water for the condemned man he discovers strange houses and when he finally gets him some water at the third house he returns him to captivity only to witness Rathcroghan's royal buildings being destroyed by the spirits. He follows the fairy host to the ''síd'' where he meets a woman who tells him that what he saw was a vision of what will happen a year from now unless his mortal comrades are warned. He leaves the ''síd'' and informs
Ailill mac Máta
Ailill mac Máta is the king of the Connachta and the husband of queen MedbMatson, Gienna: ''Celtic Mythology A to Z'', page 2. Chelsea House, 2004. in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Cruachan (Rathcroghan in County Roscommo ...
of his vision who then has the Sidhe destroyed.
Oweynagat
It is unclear whether what is referred to as the '' síd'' is ''Oweynagat'' or the mound of Rathcroghan itself.
On the inner lintel is an ogham inscription. The full phrasing is unclear but the words "" and "" have been translated; it is unclear if this is the same ''Fraech'' associated with Queen Medb.
A tale from the eighteenth century tells of a woman who on trying to catch a run-away cow, follows it into the cave and emerges miles away in Keshcorran,
County Sligo
County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...
.
Various destructive creatures emerged from Oweynagat in traditional tales:
* The name ''Oweynagat'' may come from the magical wildcats featured in "Bricriu's Feast" that emerge from the cave to attack the three Ulster warriors before being tamed by Cúchulainn.
* The ''
Ellen Trechen
Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004.
People named Ellen include:
*Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress
*Ellen A ...
'' was a triple headed monster that went on a rampage across the country before being killed by Amergin, the father of
Conall Cernach
Conall Cernach (modern spelling: Conall Cearnach) is a hero of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He had a crooked neck and is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachta, Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normal ...
.
* Small red birds came from the cave withering every plant they breathed on, before being hunted by the
Red Branch
The Red Branch (; alternatively, ) is the name of two of the three royal houses of the king of Ulster, Conchobar mac Nessa, at his capital Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh), in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. In modern retellings it is ...
.
* Herds of pigs with similar decaying powers emerged from the cave with Ailill and Medb themselves desperately trying to hunt them down, but having to deal with the pigs' power of vanishing and ability to shed captured flesh.
The Morrígan
The Morrígan emerges from this cave in the Táin Bó Regamna on a chariot pulled by a one-legged chestnut horse. She brings a cow, guided by a giant with a forked staff, to breed with the Brown Bull. In another story the Morrígan takes the cows of a woman named Odras who follows her into the cave before falling under an enchanted sleep, upon awakening she sees the Morrígan who whispers a spell over her, turning Odras into a river.
History
Like the other royal sites there are not any great historical references or archaeological evidence to prove it was a royal residence or fortress as described in the myths, with some of the best examples of ring-forts in the area dating from Christian times. It was certainly an important cemetery with the amount of ring barrows backing up the scribes who mention it alongside
Tailtiu
Tailtiu or Tailltiu (; modern spelling: Tailte) (also known as Talti) is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology. The goddess's name is linked to Teltown (< OI ''Óenach Tailten'') in Co. Meath, site of the
< ...
and Tara as one of the three great burial sites also a gathering place or ''oenach''. All assemblies and ''oenach''s were part of religious and funerary traditions and just as an assembly was held at the cemetery of Tailtiu (even into the 19th century) there would surely have been one at Cruachan. It is believed by many that queen Medb was actually the local earth goddess, much like
Medb Lethderg
In Irish mythology Medb Lethderg (; "red-side") was a goddess of sovereignty associated with Tara. She was the wife or lover of nine successive kings, including Fedlimid Rechtmar, Art mac Cuinn and Cormac mac Airt.
She is probably identical wi ...
at Tara, and that becoming king meant marrying the earth, becoming one with Cruachan with the inauguration more than likely taking place on Rathcroghan mound itself. Cruachan's religious importance diminished after the arrival of Christianity, highlighted by the prologue in the
Martyrology of Oengus
A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by na ...
that contrasts the end of Cruachan's power with the emergence of
Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise (Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery situated in County Offaly in Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. Until the 9th ce ...
.
The new emerging writers didn't really record what actually happened at sites like this, developing stories which feature the ''síd'' of Cruachan being attacked by
Ailill
Ailill (Ailell, Oilioll) is a male name in Old Irish. It is a prominent name in Irish mythology, as for Ailill mac Máta, King of Connacht and husband of Queen Medb, on whom Shakespeare based the Fairy Queen Mab. Ailill was a popular given name in ...
and
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had seve ...
while referring to Owenagat as the hell's gate of Ireland. At the end of the first century, a number of raths were built on the site. Some of these later included souterrains with an entrance for one built over Oweynagat using standing
Ogham
Ogham (Modern Irish: ; mga, ogum, ogom, later mga, ogam, label=none ) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish langua ...
stones from the site that were unique to
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
, usually only appearing in the south-west of Ireland. The area is peppered with medieval field banks, the best examples being around Reilig na Ri, showing that Cruachan became key grazing land possibly attached initially to the early medieval fort built at neighbouring
Tulsk
Tulsk () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, on the N5 national primary road between Strokestown and Bellanagare. It is 19 km north of Roscommon town.
Heritage
Near Tulsk is Cruachan, an Iron Age (Gaelic) royal palace. As recou ...
, with another nearby feature –
Carnfree
Carnfree (Irish ''Carn Fraoich'', Fráech's cairn) is a site south of the village of Tulsk in Roscommon that also lies close to the more celebrated ancient landscape of Rathcroghan. The chief feature here is the bronze-age mound of Carnfree itself ...
mound – being used as the inauguration site of the O'Conor kings of Connacht. There is evidence of small house clusters or ''sean bhaile'' between the monuments that could have been lived in well past the Middle Ages; however, the next important development was surveying that began in the mid-eighteenth century, highlighted by
Gabriel Beranger
Gabriel Beranger (1725–1817) was a Dutch artist, known for his works showing Irish antiquities.
Life
Beranger was born in Rotterdam on 9 March 1725, as the son of Henry Beranger and Marie le Duc/Anne Marie Leduc. His parents, who had married in ...
's colour drawing of Cruachan mound. This work was continued by the
in the 1830s who, with local help, assigned the names to the monuments that are used to this day. Not much physical excavation has been done around Rathcroghan mound, but technologies such as radar and magnetic surveys have revealed features that show great similarities between Rathcroghan, Tara, and
Emain Macha
Navan Fort ( sga, Emain Macha ; ga, Eamhain Mhacha, label=Modern Irish ) is an ancient ceremonial monument near Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to tradition it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the cap ...
. In 1999 the Cruachan Ai visitor centre was completed in Tulsk, showcasing all the latest research updates done on Rathcroghan as well as
Carnfree
Carnfree (Irish ''Carn Fraoich'', Fráech's cairn) is a site south of the village of Tulsk in Roscommon that also lies close to the more celebrated ancient landscape of Rathcroghan. The chief feature here is the bronze-age mound of Carnfree itself ...
and
Tulsk
Tulsk () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, on the N5 national primary road between Strokestown and Bellanagare. It is 19 km north of Roscommon town.
Heritage
Near Tulsk is Cruachan, an Iron Age (Gaelic) royal palace. As recou ...
itself.
A historical reference to the cave is to be found in the
Triads of Ireland
The title ''Trecheng Breth Féne'' "A Triad of Judgments of the Irish", more widely known as "The Triads of Ireland", refers to a miscellaneous collection of about 256 Old Irish triads (and some numerical variants) on a variety of topics, such as ...
, dating from the 14th to the 19th century, where ", and " are listed under the heading, "the three darkest places in Ireland". The last, meaning the 'Cave of the Alders', is generally thought to be the present
Dunmore Cave
Dunmore Cave () is a limestone solutional cave in Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is formed in Lower Carboniferous (Viséan) limestone of the Clogrenan Formation. It is a show cave open to the public, particularly well known for its ...
, while the first two translate as the caves of
Knowth
Knowth (; ga, Cnóbha) is a Neolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne located 8.4 km west of Drogheda in Ireland's valley of the River Boyne. It is the largest passage grave of the Brú ...
and the caves of Slaney. is not known which exact system of caves/passage tombs near the river
Slaney
Slaney is a surname.
Notable people with this surname include:
* Geoffrey Slaney (1922–2016), British surgeon and academic
* Ivor Slaney (1921–1998), England musical composer and conductor
* John Slaney (born 1972), Canadian ice hockey player ...
is being referred to, with the most likely, those at
Baltinglass
Baltinglass, historically known as Baltinglas (), is a town in south-west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney near the border with County Carlow and County Kildare, on the N81 road.
Etymology
The town's Irish name, ''Be ...
. Other sources translate the listed locations as Rath Croghan, the cave or crypt of Slane and the "Cave of the Ferns".
Archaeology
The Rathcroghan complex has over 240 archaeological sites – 60 of which are classed as national monuments – scattered over approximately 4 square miles. They range in date from the Neolithic to the Medieval period and the monument categories include burial mounds, ringforts, linear earthworks and enclosures.
Main sites
Rathcroghan mound
The focal point of the complex, Rathcroghan mound is a broad, flat-topped circular mound with an average diameter of 89 m at the base and a height of 5.5 m. Gently sloping ramps to the east and west give access to the summit on which there are traces of a small mound. Surveying has revealed that Rathcroghan mound was built on top of an existing monument that was made of two concentric stone built ring banks. A huge enclosure measuring 360 m in diameter and 5 m in depth was also discovered during surveying. This enclosure surrounds the great mound and various other monuments, facilitating comparisons with other royal sites in Ireland such as Tara, Emain Macha and Dún Ailinne, which have similar enclosures.
Rathmore
The name of this mound translates directly to "Big Fort". It is convex in shape with a diameter of 40 m and surrounded by a 7 m wide ditch. This grass-covered, steep-sided mound is suggested to date from the late phase in the Iron Age into the Early Medieval period. Although it is similar to a ringfort, the apex of the mound is considered too small. Potential post holes found at the top of the mound may suggest that this was the site of an Iron Age communal hall or similar circular structure. Geophysical surveys indicate evidence of hearths, pits and ovens on the interior which accords with the use of the mound for habitation.
Rath na dTarbh
The anglicised spelling is Rathnadarve and the name means ‘Fort of the bulls’ in English. West of Rathcroghan mound is a large circular ring fort with a considerable bank and external ditch. There are several breaks in the bank, one at the north east being a possible entrance. This is traditionally the site of the fight between the bulls Donn Cuailnge and Finnbennach at the end of the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge.
Reilig na Rí
The anglicised spelling is Relignaree and translated from Irish means ‘burial place of the Kings’. This is a large circular enclosure with a diameter of 100 m and a stone and earth bank of 1 m high. In the interior of the enclosure there are traces of a smaller circular enclosure, with a diameter of 48 m. Ancient field boundary banks run across this site, seeming to divide it into four unequal segments, and the remains of five rectangular houses are visible in and around the site. In 1872 the remains of a souterrain in the south-west quadrant were excavated and animal bones were found.
Oweynagat
The Irish name for this site is Uaimh na gCat which translates as ‘Cave of the Cats’. This is a natural narrow limestone cave with a man-made souterrain at the entrance. Originally the entrance to the souterrain was contained within an earthen mound, which was disturbed by the construction of a road in the 1930s. The souterrain is constructed of drystone walling, orthostats and lintels, and measures a total of approximately 10.5 m from the entrance to the natural cave. The natural cave extends for a further 37 m. There is an ogham inscription on the overhead lintel just inside the entrance to the souterrain which reads ‘VRAICCI...MAQI MEDVVI’. In translation this would read ‘of Fraech, son of Medb’, Fraech being associated with Cruachan and Medb in the Táin Bó Cúailnge. Fraech is also associated with the nearby monument of Carnfee (Carn Fraích). There is a second ogham inscription on another lintel inside the passageway, barely visible, which reads ‘QR G SMU’. This inscription is too incomplete to enable a confident reading.
Dathí's Mound
This mound was supposed to be the burial
place of Dathí, the last pagan High King of Ireland. It appears to be an embanked burial mound with an overall diameter of 40 m, with opposed entrances on the east and west. There is a pillar stone of red sandstone atop the mound, the stone standing 1.85 m high. Macalister’s investigations in 1913 revealed that the mound was carved out of a natural gravel ridge, and furthermore, limited excavation in 1981 confirmed this. No graves were found at this excavation, although charcoal samples retrieved suggest a building date of between 200 BC – 200 AD. This date conflicts with the legend of this being Dathí’s final resting place, as he was supposed to have died around 429 AD, at least 200 years later than the creation of this site.
The Mucklaghs
Folklore tells us that these huge earthworks are the results of the rooting of a giant boar, with ''muic'' being the Irish word for pig. They are two linear earthworks which consist of double banks with three accompanying ditches which run north-east and south-west in a curving parallel course at a distance of 78 m apart. The Northern Mucklagh is the shorter of the two, measuring 100 m, but is impressively massive in its construction. The Southern Mucklagh is significantly longer, measuring approximately 280 m. The function of these earthworks is unclear.
Rathbeg
Rathbeg, "Small Fort", has been categorised as a Ring Barrow with obvious concentric rings that encircle the barrow in a tiered effect. The mound is located 600 m north west of Rathcroghan mound. It has a double ditch on three sides of the monument and an extra ditch on the western side. There is a small cairn at the summit surrounded by small banks and ditches, which creates the terracing. The mound is 36 m in diameter approximately. Worked flint discovered on the mound dates from the Iron Age and possibly the Bronze Age however the structure itself would be consistent with Neolithic monuments.
Cashelmanannan
The Irish spelling of the name is Caiseal Mhanannán, which means Manannan’s Fort, referring to a deity from Irish mythology, Manannán mac Lir. These are the foundation remains of a trivallate oval stone fort, with three closely spaced concentric banks of earth and stone measuring an average of 1.5 m in width each. The internal diameter measures 40 m with the external measurements being 57 m north/south and 63 m east/west. Attached to the main enclosure on the north and east sides are two rectangular enclosures, each defined by a singular bank. The exact use of Cashelmanannan is unknown, as excavation has not taken place, but the fact that it is the only structure in the complex built of stone suggests a high-status building with good defensive features.
Other sites
* ''Misguan Medb'' – A fallen standing stone located near Rathcroghan Mound.
* ''Ancient Avenue'' – An avenue or trackway surrounded by two low banks. Part of it intersects with the outer circular bank and ditch of Rathscreig, a site with a small mound at the center. The avenue which is roughly 15 meters wide seems to end at Flanagan's Fort, another ringfort with a small mound at the center. Both these forts were built at a later date than the avenue.
Annalistic references
A part of information source for the Rathcroghan complex comes from annalistic references. These references can give an indication of events, and the earliest annalistic reference to Rathcroghan occurs in the
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...
and is described as being 1681 BC. Up until the 8th century AD we can suggest that these earlier references were proto-historical.
The promulgation of St. Patrick's law and St. Ciaran's law at Crúachan in 783 AD and 814 AD respectively shows the importance of this site well into the medieval period, and possibly is the earliest genuinely historical reference to Rathcroghan.