Knocknarea
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| Knocknarea Cnoc na Riabh |
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 Knocknarea with a Carrowmore tomb in the foreground |
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| Elevation | 327 m (1,014 ft) |
| Location | County Sligo,  Ireland |
| Prominence | 302 m |
| Topo map | OSi Discovery 16, 25 |
| OSI/OSNI grid reference | G626346 |
| Listing | Marilyn |
| Translation | Cnoc na Rí () |
Knocknarea, (pronounced /nɒknæˈreɪ/), (Cnoc na Riabh in Irish) mountain dominates the landscape to the west of Sligo town in County Sligo in Ireland. Various theories as to the meaning of the name exist, including 'Hill of the King (or Queen)', 'Hill of the Moon', 'Hill of Executioners' and 'Hill of the Flat Top'.
The 327 metre (1014-foot) high limestone mountain is visually striking, as it is monolithic in appearance and stands in a prominent position on the Cúil Irra peninsula between the bays of Sligo and Ballysadare. In addition, a large mound, or cairn of loose limestone rocks – ‘Miosgán Medbha’ (Maeve’s Lump of Butter), caps the mountain. Although this monument has not been excavated, its shape and structure (there are a number of similar features in the area, Listoghil at Carrowmore, Cairns Hill, etc.) and the results of archaeology in the immediate area have led to the tomb being classified as a Neolithic passage tomb.
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[edit] Queen Maeve's Tomb
Queen Maeve's cairn measures some 55 meters across and 10 meters high, making it the largest such tomb in Ireland outside the Boyne Valley. It is estimated that the stones used in the construction would weigh approx. 40,000 metric tons. Archaeologist Stefan Bergh, in his book Landscape of the Monuments Stockholm (1995), suggests that a large depression to the back of the mound on the western side was the quarry from which the limestone for the monument was sourced.
Medb or Maeve was the warrior Queen of Connacht in Celtic mythology. The story of part of her reign is recorded in the ‘Táin Bó Cúailnge’ (The cattle raid of Cooley) - abbreviated ‘The Táin’ - the earliest written version of which is recorded in Lebor na hUidre (the Book of the Dun Cow), a late 11th Century manuscript. The Táin saga itself is thought to be much older, perhaps referring to a time several hundred years B.C. Because of the weapons and animals in the story, some commentators regard Queen Maeve as an Iron Age figure, but no-one knows if she really existed or not. Maeve is reputedly entombed in the Knocknarea cairn in an erect position, in full battle regalia, facing northward toward her Ulster enemies. Although passage tombs are dated to the Neolithic era, there is evidence of the re-usage of such tombs (including burials) in the Bronze and Iron Ages, which may provide some comfort to those who believe Queen Maeve is still inside Miosgán Medbh.
[edit] The Landscape of Monuments
Maeve's cairn, though by far the largest, is only one of a number of monuments on the summit of Knocknarea. In general the tombs are lined up North/South, they may have been constructed facing Carrowmore in the lowlands. Many of the smaller tombs seem to have been small passage tombs; they were severely damaged by the excavations of antiquarians in the 19th century.
Knocknarea Mountain seems to have been a major place of ritual and meeting in the Neolithic era. The entire top of the mountain on the eastern side is circumscribed by an 1k long embankment, 2 m wide and 0.8 m tall. Hut sites have been located on the inside of this area. A large amount of debris from making stone tools have also been collected. (See: Bergh: Landscape of the Monuments)
The entire region around Sligo Bay is very rich in pre-historic remains, and interconnected by a visual 'language' of monuments and natural shapes. From Knocknarea can be seen other sites such as Croaghaun Mountain, Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, and Cairns Hill. Carrowmore passage tomb cemetery is located at the eastern foot of Knocknarea.
Strandhill, the coastal resort, lies at the western foot of Knocknarea. Cullenamore, an extensive beach area, is further south, and the southern aspect from Knocknarea overlooks Ballysadare Bay.
[edit] Conservation
Conservation issues regarding Knocknarea and Queen Maeves Tomb have been much discussed in the last number of years in the local press. Large visitor numbers are causing damage to the cairn. Visitors are asked not to climb on the cairn, and especially not to move stones or take stones from the cairn. It is an offence punishable by law.
