Once upon a time, in a mysterious and ancient land in Co Roscommon, Ireland, there existed a place known to few but holding great historical and spiritual significance – the Rathcroghan complex. This was where the kings and queens of Connacht were inaugurated through a special ritual, in which they symbolically “mated” with the local Earth goddess.
Beginning
As Samhain approaches, when the veil between the present world and the underworld becomes thinnest, no one dares to venture near the lair of the war goddess Morrigan. Marked by whitethorn trees, the cave of Mór-Ríoghain, or the Great Queen, is located in east Connacht, just a few kilometers from the royal complex of Rathcroghan, one of the most significant yet underappreciated archaeological landscapes on the island of Ireland.
The Mysterious Cave
The narrow entrance to Uaimh na gCait, or the Cave of the Cats, is a curious blend of a man-made souterrain and a natural limestone cavern. Ogham inscribed on a lintel stone translates to “Frach, son of Medb,” referring to the queen associated with this area. Local legend has it that this was a gate to hell, marked by Morrigan, who harassed the cattle raiders of the Táin Bó Cuailgne after they set out from Rathcroghan for the Cooley
Peninsula.
War Plans
The plan for that campaign might have been hatched on top of this grassy mound, which was once an enclosure for a royal settlement and sacred burial place in the center of Machaire Connacht. Rathcroghan Mound was where the kings and queens of Connacht were inaugurated in a ritual “mating” with the local Earth goddess. Irish medieval literature frequently mentions it as one of the four major royal sites; the others being Tara in Co Meath, Navan Fort in Co Armagh, and Knockaulin in Co Kildare.
Royal Past
According to the eighth-century text known as the Táin Bó Fraích, Medb and her husband, Ailill, had a house built here of pine, with “four copper pillars” over their bed, which was “all adorned with bronze.” Rathcroghan has survived as the nucleus of a complex of more than 60 monuments just northwest of the village of Tulsk, where the local community runs a visitor center known as Cruachán Aí.
Preservation and Exploration
This center allows visitors to travel back in time from the Mesolithic – 6,000 BC to 4,500 BC – to the Iron Age. Much of the tour trail has been informed by geophysical surveys conducted by NUIG’s school of geography and archaeology, in association with their earth- and ocean-science colleagues. Joe Fenwick, an NUIG field officer, explains that geophysical surveying is non-invasive but excellent at interpreting the physical or chemical properties of the soil. He says, “I feel very differently about Rathcroghan now, knowing what we know now, than when I first came here.”
New Discoveries
Rathcroghan, roughly the same size as Newgrange, was once approached by an east-facing avenue. Remains of two concentric stone walls lie within a perimeter retained by a timber palisade; there is also evidence of timber structures on its summit. Fenwick says, “There is no definitive proof of roofing, but the Romans were building the Pantheon at the time, so I am sure these inhabitants could roof an Iron Age structure, even with wood.”
Conclusion
Rathcroghan Mound and other major monuments are in State ownership, but others are on private land, so visitors should seek the landowner’s permission. With Dublin growing at an inexorable rate, the richly historic landscape of Rathcroghan is expected to survive well beyond that of Tara. These new discoveries help us understand a distant past and contribute to the preservation of these precious sites for future generations.
