In St Patrick's Footsteps

SLANE AND THE HILL OF TARA

The royal party retreated back to the palace in confusion, but the Queen wisely recognised the remarkable power which Patrick had demonstrated, and implored him not to destroy her husband. The King, in the meantime, had falsely promised to accept Christianity, but Patrick was warned about this by God. As he and his followers approached the royal party they were turned into the form of eight deer and a fawn and thereby escaped. At this stage of the story there is a distinct parallel with Patrick's encounter with the Irish chieftain Daire in Armagh where he was reputedly granted the hill on which the present Roman Catholic Cathedral is built. However the King at Tara was made of sterner stuff, and he invited Patrick to a royal feast, where one of the druids tried to poison him.

Patrick, however, retained divine protection and he spotted the plot. When he blessed the cup, the liquid inside it froze, and when he turned it upside down the poisoned drop fell to the ground. Just to underline who was in charge, Patrick blessed the cup again, and the frozen liquid in the cup was turned back into its original form.

Despite this demonstration of 'divine power' the druids remained undaunted, and in a contest of 'magical powers' according to Muirchu, they tried every device to destroy Patrick, but he thwarted all their efforts. Eventually the King himself gave up the struggle, and decided to accept Patrick's teaching with the words "It is better for me to believe than to die."

Today the Hill of Tara is peaceful and there are no echoes of the dramas of the past. Yet it remains geographically impressive and rises to some 300 feet, with a commanding view over a wide stretch of countryside - just exactly the right location for the ancient High Kings of Ireland. However there was another reason for choosing the Hill of Tara - as a Stone Age burial site it had a sacred significance long before the advent of Christianity. There is still an atmosphere of this legendary history at the heart of Tara, with its hillocks and ridges, its Mound of the Hostages, its Bronze Age burial site, and its ancient stones. One of these - known as 'The Stone of Destiny' - was said to "roar in approval" when it was touched by the man rightfully destined to be King. Some people claim that Tara's distinctive identity may be under threat from a proposed new motorway, but it remains a considerable archaeological treasure-house, and an important destination for anyone who wants to touch the essence of Ireland's early history and also the St Patrick story.

Slane Hill is off the N2 (the main road from Dublin to Monaghan), just north from the town of Slane. The Hill of Tara is accessible from the main N3 road from Navan, the largest local centre.

From the Appletree Press title: In St Patrick's Footsteps by Alf McCreary.