The Excavation of the Mound of the Hostages

The Hill of Tara is, perhaps, the best known complex of archaeological monuments in Ireland. Because of its associations with the High Kings of Ireland, and its international recognition, Professor Seán P. Ó Ríordáin’s excavations at Tara in the 1950s attracted great interest.

The Mound of the Hostages, or Duma na nGiall, is the oldest visible monument on the Hill of Tara. The excavation of the mound showed it to have a very complex history of construction and use. The mound covers a burial monument called a passage tomb built in the period just before 3,000 BC, and was used as a place to bury human remains for more than 1,500 years.

This exhibition displays some of the many exceptional finds found during the excavation and describes some aspects of its cultural setting in the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.

Opening hours
Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 - 17:00 | Sunday: 14:00 - 17:00
Closed Mondays (Including Bank Holidays), Christmas Day and Good Friday

Admission
FREE

Further Info
http://www.museum.ie/en/exhibition/ritesofpassagetara.aspx