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For today’s adventure let’s head to County Roscommon and to Rathcroghan. Located in the heart of the County is Rathcroghan who’s name comes from the Irish Ráth Cruachan – The Fort of Cruachan and is a collection of 240 identified archaeological sites, dating from the Neolithic Period or New Stone Age, through to the late medieval period, spanning a staggering timespan of over 5,500 years.
This is the location of some 28 identified burial mounds from the Bronze and Iron Age, numerous ring forts of early medieval date, standing stones, linear earthworks, stone forts, a great Iron Age ritual sanctuary and even a Gateway to Hell !!
There is a handy car park close to the road, and from here we can begin our walk. Through a gate and across a field and past the grazing sheep lies the site of the Rathcroghan mound. This man-made hill was the ceremonial and political focal point of the community. It has a commanding view over the landscape, and we are told that archaeologists have discovered evidence of a massive building – over 100 feet in diameter that once stood here. It is remembered as one of the great locations of ceremonial assembly or óenach in Irish. These fairs or assemblies took place at important points in the year, usually at the changing of the seasons, and were occasions for judgments to be passed, for kings to be crowned or inaugurated, and for great feasting and entertainments.
Rathcroghan’s significance is also recorded in the early medieval literature as one of the three chief burial places of Ireland, the other two being at the Fair of Tailtiu and Newgrange. This royal settlement also features very heavily in the Ulster Cycle of Tales, particularly as it is the location of the palace of the famous Iron Age Warrior Queen Maeve of Connaught. One of the sites is the cave of Uaimh na gCat (Oweynagat) and is considered this the home of Halloween !
A short drive brings us along lonely lane leading into a dead end ( pardon the pun )!!! We park our car in front of an abandoned cottage and see if we can find this cave. As we go along let me tell you that the 31st of October marks the celebration of ‘Samhain’, one of the four major pre-Christian Gaelic Pagan Festivals along with Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Imbolc. Samhain , which nowadays has become Halloween , is particularly linked with this place , as Rathcroghan is said to provide entrance to the Otherworld, described in the medieval period as “Ireland’s Gate to Hell”. It was during this time that the Irish believed that the prehistoric graves from before their time opened and their gods and spirits, who dwelt inside, walked the earth. The emerging of creatures from Oweynagat would be part of this belief.
I have to say this place is rather spooky and there is not a soul around – but I did see a large black cat sitting on the wall watching me go by. At last, we can find the gate and in a corner of the field lies a small opening leading to the cave. Let’s crawl in to get a better look !
As we scramble through the opening, we can see on the inner lintel there is a weathered ogham inscription. Ogham is an ancient form of writing dating back over 1600 years . The full phrasing is unclear but the words “FRAECH” and “SON OF MEDB” have been translated; it is unclear if this is the same Fraech associated with Queen Maeve ? Inside there is a tunnel leading down to the left and I believe that it runs some 90 feet through narrow twisting chambers. I’m all on my own ; no one knows I’m here and I only have the light from my phone to guide me. So, for the sake of safety (and for fear of spooks ) I’m not going to go any deeper into the cave . However, this is an amazing place to visit, and I can see why the ancient peoples thought this was the entrance to some other mysterious place. So, I’m going to re trace my steps and wriggle back out into the sunshine !
Nearby There is a sign that tells us about some of the folklore and legends associated with this place .
The emerging of creatures that came from this cave were to be part of the belief that on Halloween the dead walked amongst us . One legend based on this belief tells of a local warrior who is challenged to tie a twig around the ankle of a condemned man on Samhain night. After agreeing to get some water for the condemned man he witnesses Rathcroghan’s royal buildings being destroyed by the spirits. Another tale from the 18th century tells of a woman who on trying to catch a run-away cow, follows it into the cave and emerges miles away in County Sligo!
Various destructive creatures emerged from Oweynagat in traditional tales: including magical wildcats that emerge from the cave to attack the three Ulster warriors ; the Ellen Trechen – a triple headed monster that went on a rampage across the country ; small red birds that came from the cave withering every plant they breathed on, and finally herds of pigs with similar decaying powers emerged from the cave, also possessing the ability to vanish!
Boy, I’m glad that I only read about these legends after emerging from the cave – and I’m not going to look behind until I reach the car and am safely inside !!!
Wishing you a happy ( and spooky ) Halloween and thanks for coming along with me today.
Stephen
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