page_title: Rathcroghan
section_title: The Mucklaghs
hierarchical_section_title: Rathcroghan / Main sites / The Mucklaghs
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial photo of the Mucklaghs at Rathcroghan
context_page_description: Rathcroghan is a complex of archaeological sites near Tulsk in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is identified as the site of Cruachan, the traditional capital of the Connachta, the prehistoric and early historic rulers of the western territory. The Rathcroghan Complex is a unique archaeological landscape with many references found in early Irish medieval manuscripts.
  Located on the plains of Connacht, Rathcroghan is one of the six Royal Sites of Ireland. This landscape which extends over six square kilometres, consists of 240 plus archaeological sites, sixty of which are protected national monuments.
  These monuments range from the Neolithic, through the Bronze and Iron Age, to the early medieval period and beyond. These monuments include burial mounds, ringforts and medieval field boundaries amongst others. The most fascinating of these are the multi period Rathcroghan Mound, the mysterious cave of Oweynagat, the Mucklaghs - a spectacular set of linear earthworks, as well as the Carns medieval complex.
  There are many interesting historic references to Rathcroghan recorded in early medieval manuscripts, including the 12th century Lebor na hUidre.
context_section_description: Folklore tells us that these huge earthworks are the results of the rooting of a giant boar, with muic being the Irish word for pig. They are two linear earthworks which consist of double banks with three accompanying ditches which run north-east and south-west in a curving parallel course at a distance of 78 m apart. The Northern Mucklagh is the shorter of the two, measuring 100 m, but is impressively massive in its construction. The Southern Mucklagh is significantly longer, measuring approximately 280 m. The function of these earthworks is unclear.
caption: The Mucklaghs; believed to be created by a magical boar
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