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TARA

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Originally appearing in Volume V26, Page 415 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TARA , a See also:

village of Co. See also:Meath, See also:Ireland. It is celebrated for the See also:Hill of Tara, well known through See also:Thomas See also:Moore's ballad, and for many centuries a royal See also:residence and the See also:scene of See also:great meetings of the See also:people. The hill, upon which five highroads converged from different parts of Ireland, is about 510 ft. in height, and stands isolated. On its See also:summit or flanks are six raths or circular earthworks, the largest of which, called the See also:king's See also:rath (rath-na-riogh) encloses other See also:works, among which is the forradh or See also:meeting-See also:place, a See also:flat-topped See also:mound. On this (but not in its See also:original position) stands a See also:pillar See also:stone, which has been held to be the stone of destiny on which the Irish See also:kings were crowned. An oblong enclosure, 759 ft. in length by 46 ft. in breadth, formed of earthworks, with entrances at intervals on each See also:side, represents the banqueting See also:hall. In the See also:middle of the 3rd See also:century A.D. King Cormac Mac See also:Art, about whom there are many records in connexion with Tara, is said to have founded here See also:schools of military See also:science, See also:law and literature. In the See also:time of St See also:Patrick Tara is indicated as the See also:chief seat of See also:druidism and See also:idolatry, and in or about 56o it was abandoned as a royal residence, having fallen under the curse of St Ruadan. In 98o the Danish See also:power of Meath was overthrown in See also:battle here; in 1798 a severe defeat of the insurgents took place here (26th of May); and in 1843 the hill of Tara, as a site sacred to Irish traditions, was the scene of one of See also:Daniel O'Connell's See also:mass meetings in support of the See also:repeal of the legislative See also:union (15th of See also:August).

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