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Magh Adhair

This site, in the townland of Toonagh and about two miles north-east of Quin, is the Inauguration site of the Kings of Thomond. A translation of the name could be ‘The Field of the Oak Tree’.

The site is deemed to be pagan in origin, but until excavation takes place, there is uncertainty as to whether it’s early iron age or late Bronze.

History first records this site in 981 when the Annals tell us that the young Árdrí, Maolshaughlin, concerned about the power of King Brien, invaded Thomond while Brien was absent. Maolshaughlin made his way to Magh Adhair and uprooted and cut to pieces the sacred inauguration tree. It was quickly replaced, but in 1051 the same act of desecration was perpetrated by Aodh O’ Connor of Connaught.

The Dal gCas tribe originally occupied lands east of the Shannon, East Limerick and north east Tipperary. But around 400, they crossed the river and after a hard fought campaign they succeeded in holding east Clare and detaching it from Connaught.They then appointed Magh Adhair as their inauguration site. They achieved the Kingship of Munster but also of the whole country.

The O’ Hehirs were once lords of Magh Adhair and held the office for 200 years but were ousted by the Macnamaras who subsequently crowned the Dalcassian chieftains and descendants of Brien Ború for four centuries.

The first clear inauguration record is 1204 and until 1552 six inaugurations are recorded.

Like other such sites in Ireland, it has the typical features of an inauguration place: it has an ancestral cairn or mound, and there was sometimes a venerated tree to canopy the inauguration. In fact, cutting down of this tree by the tribe’s enemy, was deemed a great triumph. Unusually, Magh Adhair is located on a low site as opposed to the typical elevated. It boasts a mound of over 20 feet, with a flat top measuring 100 by 80 feet and is surrounded by a fosse and external bank.  Across the stream is a six foot standing stone which suggests a ritual of religious importance was part of the inauguration.

A small mound, which is possibly a burial one, ten feet by 17 feet wide lies some distance away to the south west of the large mound and a type of ramp joins one area to the other. A large rock sits to the North of the site and is often referred to as ‘the throne’ with a hollow or ‘bullán’ hollowed out of its surface. The hell River flows on the southern side.

Hell River and mound
The bullaun stone

We now know that on the day of inauguration, the sub-chiefs of the surrounding area, poets and historians were present. So too were all leading ecclesiastics, bishops and Abbots. The laws of office were read out to the elected chief and he swore to observe them and maintain the ancient customs of the tribe and to rule the tribe with justice. While standing on the stone, or under the venerated tree, he was handed a straight white wand – a symbol of authority. He then put aside all weapons and holding the rod in his hand, he turned three times to the left, and three times to the right, to view his territory in all directions.  His surname was pronounced by one of the subchiefs in a loud voice and repeated in order of seniority by the clergy and other subchiefs. He was now King.

Source: ‘Other Clare’

 

 

 

Seán na Gealaí

Halloween is the direct descendent of Samhain. It was the night when the gap between this world and the spirit world narrowed.  Known as Oiche Shamhna or ‘spirit night’, the souls of the dead were expected to return to the family home. The Church introduced the Feast of All Saints (Nov1) and the Feast of All Souls (Nov 2nd) to counter Samhain. Evil spirits were also thought to be abroad and people avoided travelling alone on this night.

   “Deireann na daoine go mbíonn sidheogaí amuigh oidhche Shamhna”, Schools’ Collection (NFCS 249).

Origins of Samhain

Contender 1- Tulsk, County Roscommon

Oweynagat Cave, Uaimh na gCat, meaning the ‘Cave of the Cats’ in Rath Croaghan. The Book of Leinster names it as dorus iffrin na Hérend – Ireland’s Gateway to Hell. Demons and all kinds of creatures emerge from here on Oiche Shamhna.

 Echtra Nerai (the Adventures of Nera) is first mentioned in the 10th century Cath Maige Mucrama story,  happening at Samhain.

Oweynagat Cave is also said to be the home of the Morrigan. She is portrayed as a goddess of battle and war, with the power to transform into crows or ravens. Her dreaded cry was frequently heard over battlefields.

Echtra Nerai, the Adventures of Nera

An Irish text taken from the Ulster Cycle, dating to the tenth century entitled ‘Nera and the Dead Man’, tells of the warrior Nera who accepts a dare during a dark and stormy Samhain night to tie a withy around the ankle of a hanging dead man. As he does so, the corpse suddenly comes to life and asks Nera to carry him on his back. Nera complies. After some adventures Nera gets the dead man back to his tree. All of this takes place at Samhain at Rath Croaghan/Cruachan, hence its association with Halloween.

Contender 2 – Tlachtga, Meath

The original Tlachtga was a druidess of considerable power and importance, the daughter of Mug Ruith who lived on Valentia Island in Kerry. He is said to have lived through the reign of nineteen kings, with his lifespan stretching back to the time of Christ on earth. Tlachtga and her father could travel the world on the Rath, a fabulous spinning wheel of fire that easily transported them. Mug Ruith sought out knowledge and learning like few before him and it was in this manner that he and Tlachtga travelled to study under Simon Magus (Simon the Sorcerer), who is mentioned in the Bible.

Simon Magus and Mug Ruith sent Tlachtga out into the world to gather as much knowledge as she could find. Upon her return they realized that her knowledge far surpassed their own!
They were outraged and such was their jealousy that they set the three sons of Simon Magus upon Tlachtga, who defiled her. She returned to Ireland where she gave birth to three sons, Dorb (Doirb), Cuma (Cumma) and Muach.

It was on the hill of Ward in county Meath that Tlachtga brought her three sons into the world, and it was there that she died, unable to sustain her life in the face of the utter grief and despair she felt at the indignity she had endured.

In recent years a renewal of the annual gathering on the hill of Ward now attracts hundreds of people at Halloween. A walk from Athboy up towards the Hill itself culminates with a celebration, with elaborate ceremonies and an acknowledgement of the cultural gift to Ireland and the world that Tlachtga represents.

In the ancient kingdom of Mide, Tlachtga was considered an important assembly place alongside Tara, Teiltun and Uisneach. These four ‘corners’ are recorded as having been the location of fortresses constructed by high king Tuathal Techmar at the foundation of Mide in the early decades of the first millennium AD.

‘Much of the (archaeological) evidence points towards a long history of ritual activity. Large quantities of animal bones – a sign of large scale feasting have been found throughout all phases of the site. The lack of evidence of any residential or day to day activity strengthens the idea that it most likely it was set aside purely for ritual or celebratory activity.

There have been finds in all three phases of the site, including scattered Bronze Age human remains and the skeleton of an infant between seven and ten months old… The child burial, next to a ritual deposit of cow bones, dates to AD 450 – around the time of the arrival of Christianity.

“The child was clearly buried with care and having not found any evidence of burials on the site, we’d have to guess that This child belonged to someone significant”.

Harvest knots and Guises

 

 

Homemade masks made by village boys calling to local houses on Oiche Shamhna

Outdoors

Unlike May when the fairies are active, November Eve brings malevolent spirits. It is the night for community bonfires, especially in housing estates in the cities and towns. Collecting the last handful of fruit and nuts.

Indoors

Families would attempt to have a celebratory supper on Oiche Shamhna. Family supper might be colcannon or pandy. They would first secure the house by sprinkling Holy Water and possibly placing a religious object in the thatch near the front door.

Typical Samhain Food included pancakes, stampy (a potato and apple cake, crusted with barley, enhanced with sea spinach and rock samphire & cooked with oil) apple cakes, nuts, blackberry pies.

An bairín breac/the barmbrack or the ‘speckled loaf’, containing oodles of dried autumn fruits is still a favourite treat, with lashings of butter.

Tokens inside the traditional loaf included the ring as a symbol of love and marriage,  a thimble (spinsterhood); a button (bachelorhood); a stick (to be beaten by the spouse); a rag (poverty); a coin (wealth) and a crucifix (the taking of religious orders).

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