The Lia Fáil standing stone that once adorned the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland, has apparently been vandalized, and Minister of Heritage Jimmy Deenihan says, "These monuments are a fundamental part of our shared heritage and history, and I condemn, in the strongest terms, the damage that has been caused."
The stone, which is known as the Stone of Destiny, was repeatedly hit with a hammer, causing fragments to break off. Irish legend says that the stone will roar when touched by the rightful king. Tara Hill is the seat of the former High Kings of Ireland.
The granite stone is about five thousand years old, and is a major attraction for visitors. It features prominently in many Irish legends and myths.
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The stone, which is known as the Stone of Destiny, was repeatedly hit with a hammer, causing fragments to break off. Irish legend says that the stone will roar when touched by the rightful king. Tara Hill is the seat of the former High Kings of Ireland.
The granite stone is about five thousand years old, and is a major attraction for visitors. It features prominently in many Irish legends and myths.
Follow Pagan/Wiccan on Twitter or Join Me On Facebook.
How horrible! And just before the solstice!
This is sad news.
I am incensed at this action, as a pagan of long standing and also of Irish descent, I wish that I could break my oath against cursing, but an oath is an oath even if they do deserve it
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patti
As a history major and Wiccan, this just makes me sick to my stomach. Such monuments are important for cultural heritage let alone as a reminder of past and current religious belief sets. What a shame we live in a world where there is such a lack of respect for such historical monuments *shakes head in disgust and sadness*
I wonder how they would feel if someone did the same to their Christian Church or Cathedral or Synagogue. It’s the same for us. Shame on them and right before the Soltice as well.
Chuck,
We can’t assume that this was done by someone with a religious axe to grind. The Tara Stone isn’t really pagan–it relates to the past history of the Irish people and their kings.
Given the economic turmoil in Ireland, it’s far more likely that this was a common, garden-variety act of hooliganism. (Or was committed by someone who planned on selling the shards on eBay to get a few Euros to spend at the local pub…)
Gasp!! I am appalled! Such good history there… Ruddy people not appreciating antiquity these days, sigh…
Im from Ireland and that damage was probably done by neopagan tourists. The news papers say someone took chips out of the Lia Fail with a hammer and took them home with them. I know no one who isnt a neopagan would value bits of granite and no one from Ireland would have to take the chips away with them because we can walk right up to the lia fail. It makes me ashamed to be a neopagan.
Its a disgrace and one that would never have happend if people treated our culture with respect instead of using it to prop up neopagan beliefs. If youre upset about this look at your neopaganism and see if it treats Irish trads with respect or if it places neopagan belief first and only uses irish tradition to legitimise those beliefs. If that is the case (and it is for most neopaganism imo) turn your sadness into something productive, either abandon Irish trad altogether or make sure it comes first. Its that neopaganism first mindset that allowed the damage to the lia fail. Im not saying be a reconstructionist btw, thats even less Irish then neo wicca just change the emphasis.
(Or was committed by someone who planned on selling the shards on eBay to get a few Euros to spend at the local pub…)
Ah here! Yeah thats right we’d all sell our heritage for a drink. Stupid, alcaholic, paddies that we are. There wasnt just a national outcry to move a road away from Tara because it was so important to our culture or anything. Its not like the lia fail was used over centuries as a symbol of Irish national independance and isnt a symbol of Irish national identity.
Damn I love neopagans. You make me ashamed to be one.
What a travesty! And I bet you dollars to donuts the nasty individual who perpetrated this sacrilege may have had the intent on selling/using pieces struck from the stone for possible profit. People can be so miserable.
Well, one consolation would be that the powers will see what they have done, and send ill luck their way for such a heinous desecration of a sacred monolith .
Shame to them!
If anyone does see this for sale or hear of anyone claiming to own a piece of the lia fail report them to the police. Theres a limited market for unprovinanced bits of granite its going to be neopagans if the bits are ever sold… and arent sitting on some deluded high whatevers alter.
Is their excuse that their god needs to destroy others beliefs and etc. to prove how weak and feeble their belief really is to others, it was just like when the giant Buddha that was carved into the mountain that it was destroyed, how pathetic and weak was that, it was part of all mankind’s history, I’ve got some choice words for them~ their nuts!!
I couldn’t believe this when I heard it. I hope whatever Fae that watch over the sacred sites of Ireland go after whoever did this. Hard. My heart goes out to the Irish people. If I knew who to curse, I would.
I’ve been to Ireland and visited a few old sacred sites, and I can’t understand why anyone would think it was appropriate to chip bits off. These places have been around for thousands of years! I was happy just to be able to touch the stone circles.
So hey, James Byrne and other Irish pagans reading… some of us do care very deeply, eh? And not all us Pagan tourists tromping about through Ireland are idiots. Though I will admit, out of the folks I went on the trip with, only the husband and I were interested in going to museums and meeting locals. Sad for them… I feel like I got to see “the real Ireland”.
DragonFaerie I understand your intentions are good but realistically by projecting your idea of Fae over our heritage is exactly what I was talking about. Youve spent money to come here but youve still put neopaganism ahead of Irish culture.
Irish fairies are not fae, fairies do not watch over the land, fairies are not at heritage sites like tara hill. Those are sites associated with figures from mythology. Gods like medb, lugh, fionn famous kings like dermait mac cearbhail, famous irish leaders like charles stewart parnell but never fairies. You either ignored what you were being told or heard it and rejected it in favour of what you wanted to believe.
And youre the best of the bad bunch.