Church of Saint Patrick at the Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara is one of the most sacred places in Ireland. This is where the high kings of Ireland supposedly ruled from. It may seem a bit strange to rule from such a remote place but it but it has something to do with the elevation. From here, you can see most of Ireland. If you were a king standing here, it won’t be surprising to think that you can see the entire kingdom from this spot. With a history going back five thousand years, it certainly qualifies as a very important site. Till this day, the Irish still view the Hill of Tara as having some kind of powerful symbolism with rallies being held here to express their point. If you ask me, it was too cold and windy for me to go there.
Cemetery at the Church of Saint Patrick at the Hill of Tara
Now, Saint Patrick is known as the person who brought Christianity to Ireland. He is their patron saint for now largely Catholic Ireland. However, back then, Saint Patrick heard of this Hill of Tara and how important this place is to the Irish. He rather boldly went to the Hill of Tara to discuss with the high kings. At a nearby Hill of Slane, Saint Patrick lit a Paschal fire. The priests or druids of the king saw this and warned that they need to extinguish the flame of Saint Patrick or it never will. When Saint Patrick was summoned, the king was so impressed by Saint Patrick, that he was given permission to convert people in Ireland. The rest, as they say, is history. Ireland, is now very much Catholic, thanks a lot to Saint Patrick.
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