Presentation on Magh Adhair by Michael Houlihan

Magh Adhair Inauguration site

Magh Adhair is an ancient tumulus said to be the sepulchre of Adhar. In medieval times it was the Inauguration Mound of the Dalcassian O’ Briens. The inauguration ceremonies were presided over by the local MacNamara clan. The formal inauguration most likely began at the high status ring fort of the MacNamaras and moved in procession to the nearby mound.The possible processional route as suggested above, from the fort at Cahercalla to the Magh Adhair inauguration mound.There are still some standing stones marking the route.

The name “Magh Adhair,” might be translated as “Adair’s Plain.” as found in the 14^th c. Leabhar (Mór) Leacain. It creates a connection with the first-century warrior Adair, who may be buried here. He was the brother of the Firbolg warrior, Aengus of Aran.

The newly constituted tuath of Dalcassian O’ Briens were attempting to give themselves a pedigree by attaching their important ceremonies to the mythical Adhar. Brian Boru who would go on to be ÁrdRí, Ireland’s High King was inaugurated King of Thomond at Magh Adhair in 978 and reigned until his death in 1014. He would defeat the Vikings at Clontarf, Dublin only to die on the battlefield.

Key Features:

Location – Magh Adhair ‘The plain of Adhair
The mound
Tthe fosse
The cairn,
The foot bridge
The raised gallery
The bullaun stone,
‘Hell River’
The standing stone.
McNamara trivallate fort at Cahercalla, in the near distance.

Cahercalla Ariel still

Cermonial Standing Stone Cahercalla

The west side of the mound

The main inauguration tumulus from the road

Ariel view of Magh Adhair

North side of the mound

Hell River and mound

The cairn beside the mound

The earthen causeway leading the mound

The bullaun stone

The south side of the mound

View of the fosse surrounding the Inauguration mound.

We rely on Clare historian TJ Westropp for information on the Dalcassian inauguration ritual at Magh Adhair. His account, based on research at similar inauguration sites, mentions a palisade leading to the top of the mound. It describes how a gateway in the mound ramp was guarded during the ceremony by three chiefs, while a fourth was given the honour of taking the sacred white wand, the slat na rige, up to the candidate waiting atop the mound. This “rod of kingship” was cut from a sacred tree, called the bile.

The following references to Magh Adhair occur in the Annals of the Four Masters:-

A.D. 981. Maelseachlainn, the son of Domhnall plundered Dal gCais and prostrated the bile (tribal tree) of Magh Adhair, having dug it with its roots out of the ground.

A.D. 1051. The Tree (bile) of Magh Adhair was prostrated by Hugh O’Conor.

The work called the Caithreim Thoirdhealbhaigh or Wars of Torlogh, has the following references to Magh Adhair:-

A.D. 1242. ‘After Donogh Cairbeach O’Brien had exchanged this mortal life for the happiness of angels with the victory of Unction and Penance, a Chieftain of (from) every tribe, a leader of every people, and a commander from every sept assembled around his son Conor at Moy-Eyre (Eire, Ire) to inaugurate him King in the place of his good father. It was the noble pillar of numerous hosts Sioda (Sheedy Mac Namara) who first proclaimed him (Chief or King of his people) and the rest of the Chiefs expressed their consent immediately after.’

The Ua Briain inauguration ceremonies continued at Magh Adhair until the sixteenth century. However, the glory days of Brian Boroimhe and his ancestors were over. The O’ Brien’s found themselves up against a new and formidable foe in the Anglo-Normans, including the de Clare’s in Thomond, from the twelfth century onwards.

During Christmas 1394 Brian O’ Brien, Prince of Thomond, with other Irish leaders was obliged to swear fealty to Richard II at Dublin Castle.

In March 1395 in the fields of the great ceremonial centre of Magh Adhair, the place where he had received his power according to Irish custom, O’Brien, in the presence of Thomas Earl of Nottingham, restated his pledge. The ruler and ‘other Irishmen who came to the said Lord Thomas from a wooded place distant about two staves, where many armed Irishmen were gathered together’ gave their allegiance to the English crown.

This slow diminishment of power would eventually lead to Murchadh Carrach Ó Briain in a legal act of ‘surrender and regrant’ yielding his realm of the Kingdom of Ireland in 1543 and instead accepting the titles English granted titles of Baron Inchiquin and Earl of Thomond.

Magh Adhair in the heart of Dalcassian territory

Magh Adhair photographed in 1898 by TJ Westropp

The Dalcassian colours said to have been carried at the Battle of Clontarf

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).