The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-29

Meath where the monarchs OF Erin
T. lived and ruled. there lies many
golden treasure. many a relic of
"A glorious past
Until the present time no scientific ef-
fort has been made TO explore the hill.
but arrangements now being COM
p!etcd for It's excavation by L'Union Gel
tque, ting society founded by lrlshmen
of the continen; which has succeeded m
uniting Celts from every quarter of the
globe in common effort for the advance
mcnt OF the Celtic race and the olucida-
ton Of Celtic history. L'Uuion Celtiuue
approaches the work on Tara In no ir-
revcrcnt manner and In no rash mood
II has no theory. wise or foolish. TO sus-
tain. It's operations will not destroy the
traces uf the raths. the roads or the wells
OF Tara, or interfere with the hallowed
iombs upon its crest. The Celtic union
has made no political pronouncement: II
does not mix in the of creeds The
spirit which inspires 1t can be Judged
from the fact that its patron is the Car
dinal Archbishop OF Armagh. Us presi-
dent the Earl OF Dunraven, its honorary
secretary great-sranddaughter OF
Cost Will Be Small.
Tho excavation of Tara will he carried
out py sectional tunnelings The cost Of
The work will be small. not more. II is
estimated, than $500. Sums sufficient
Tor ii have been offered TO private donors
several rimes within the last few years,
but ii is considered more desirable 10
have the excavation carried out with
funds collected by. general subscription
rs national or. Ii the Irish In America
are To hs considered as belonging To Il
second nation. as an international enter
prise. The work will be done without
financial obligation TO the British gov
crninent- The treasures found will he
refined IN Ireland. unless. as may well
he the. case. special reasons present
themselves for the transport OF some OF
them on loan TO the United STATES. Re-
Garding this point there Is reason TO be-
iieve that the British government legal
owner OF treasure trove. will give the
necessary permission.
The value of the antiquarian and
iistic treasures which proper search must
bring 10 light at Tara cannot be eNag-
Christian era IL was the site of a great
city. Irish bardic traditions trace the
establishment of monarchial government
there 10 Slaisne. first king of the Fir
lsolgs, the early Belgic conouerors OF
Erin. The bardic historians say there
relZncd az Tara one hundred and forty
reached the height OF It's splendor in the
ulird century after Christ, n period quite
within the limits of authentic Irish his
tory Tara's hill was then crowned with
palaces. amongst the sacred groves Of
The Druids; its slopes were hives of in
Gustry.
Fortress of Kings.
The name OF Tara. the house of the
stone rampant which surrounded the
buildings on the hilltop. The fair house.
as the Milesians. who reisned later at
Tara, called II. was the only stone erec-
tion on the hill. Its stones still stand
on Tara. where they were placed by those
who ruled In the dawn OF history. The
external dimension Of the great enclos
ule, taken northwest and southwest, was
SJ3 feet. its interior 115 feet When mon
archy was long established In Tara this
enclosure was known as the Rath ns.
lis name on the maps. Within it," says s
the ancient Swedish chronicle, the Kcn-
unss- Slsuggsio. which confirms tho ac-
considered the highest point Of the city
(Themar) the king had fair and we'll
built castle. and a fair hall and spa
cious. In which he was wont to sit in
Judgment"
Within the Rath ma Righ. near these
buildings there stood the LA Fail, called
by modern antIquarians the Stone OF
Destiny: the stone which the Irish
monarchs were inaugurated. That stone
still stands al Tara. II has been re-
moved a short distance from Its original
position, however. 10 the center OF the
Rath to mark the tomb OF the four hun
d-ed ''croppies" killed at the battle Of
Tara In 1898.
st. Patrick Preached There,
To the north of the Rath ma Righ stood
the Rath of Laoghaire. the pagan mon
arch before whom ST. Patrick preached
at Tara on Easter eve, \. D. 432. The
minute descriptions given in the ancient
chronicles Of Ireland. supported by the
incontcstlble evidence OF the foundations
of Ihlaces and halls traced by archae-
ologists and government surveyors on
Tara. made IL possible TO reconstruct,
accurl tely. the scene on the hilltop as It
appeared on the memorable day of Pat
rick's appearance before the monarch.
All the buildings on Tara, except the
oldest OF them all. the encrcling wall
around the Rath ma Righ, were construct
ed Of timber and clay. The palaces so
built lacked neither in comfort nor
grandeur. They resembled those OF the
Germans which Tacitus described as be-
ing overlaid with earth SO pure as TO re-
on the hill was the banqueting hall.
Long-na- Lace. THE House Of the Thou
sand Soldiers" 1t was of a shape
strange In Ireland at that period, long,
like shlp with fourteen doors in It,
seven to the west and seven TO the east
It's length was 759 feet. and it's breadth
90 feet. In 1t the trienn!al feis, or as
semblies. OF Tara were held. AS many
men could sit In 1t "as formed the choice
Ihrt OF the men OF Ireland" that Is, the
chiefs. The length OF the banqueting
hall proper, apart from the chambers at
tached to 1t, was. according 10 the Book