Faerie Lore and Legends

Oweynagat Cave – Cave of the Cats – Gateway to the Underworld and the Morrigan’s Palace. Rathcrohan – The Tain Trail: Exploring Queen Maeve’s tromping grounds. May 5, 2012. (c) 2012 – photography by Leaf McGowan, technogypsie.com. Rathcrohan – burial place of the kings of Connaught covers an area of 518 hectares. There are more than 20 ring forts, burial mounds, and megalithic tombs, principally Relig na Ri (burial ground of the kings), Rath na dTarbh (for of the bulls); and Rathbeg. Unfortunately because the earthworks are so spread out over a huge area apart from a 2m high standing stone said to mark the grave of King Dathi, last pagan King of Ireland, even a trained eye finds it difficult to make sense of the site. This area is the setting for the opening and the bloody conclusion of the epic “Tain Bo Cuailgne” the origins and meaning are lost in time and survive mainly in the folk memory of the people of Tulsk and Rathcroghan, proud custodians of his unique ritual landscape for many centuries. Modern science is shedding new light on the significance of this ancient landscape and the meaning of the 60 National Monuments to be found here which have long been an interest to antiquarians, archaeologists, and mythologists. The Ancient Irish Epic of the Tain Bo Cuiailgne, the ‘Cattle Raid of Cooley’ tells the story of Queen Maeve of Connaught and her armies, in their pursuit of the Grat Brown Bull of Cooley, the mighty warrior Cuchulainn does battle with the armies and his foster brother Ferdia as he defends the Brown Bull, and the province of Ulster. The Tain Trail Cycling and Touring Route re-traces the journey taken by Queen M Maeve and her armies from her royal palace at Rathcroghan, across the hearto of Ireland, to the Cooley Peninsula in Co. Louth, the home of the Brown Bull. To travel the Tain Trail is a unique way to experience some of the lovliest parts of Ireland and see some of her most famous monuments at your own pace.
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