Eamhain Mhaca,  the home of Cúchulainn.

'Eamhain Mhaca' or 'Emain Macha' is now known as Navan Fort.  It is situated in northern Ireland, a few miles west of Armagh.  Itis the ancient Royal capital of Ulster.

Nowadays, if you visit Emain Macha, you will see a large mound inside an immense circular hilltop enclosure.   The internal diameter is 240m, the ditch is 4m deep, and the external embankment is 15m wide and 4m high.

Activity;  for your next maths lesson, you could suggest to your teacher that the class measure and mark out 'Emain Macha' in the school yard or playground!

On the hilltop, there are two impressive features, a ring barrow (Iron Age Burial site) and a large mound.  There is evidence of people having lived there four or five thousand years ago in the Neolithic period.   However, it is almost certain that Cúchulainn and the Red Branch nights occupied the site only about 100 years BC.    Excavations have shown that this mound consisted of a huge circular, complex building, very similar to the building that we hear about in the stories and adventures of Cúchulainn. 

A short time after it was built, bouldrs were piled high inside the building and the entire structure was set alight.  The remains were covered with earth and turf, eventually creating the mound that we see today.   Archaeologists suggest that this burning and mound building was of religious rather than military signifigance; destructive invaders would not be likely to celebrate their victory with such careful cairn building and covering of the remains. 

Why do you think the building was set alight?

Can you suggest what type of religious cermony was going on? Think about the time it was set alight; it was built 100 years BC and within the next 150 years it was burnt. 

The name 'Emain Macha' literally means Emain,   twins, and Macha, the name of the local goddess.  Have a look at the photograph above.  Where do you think the name Emain Macha came from?

If you would like to find out more about Emain Macha click here. 

Perhaps for your next school tour, your class and your teacher could make arrangements to visit Emain Macha!

Suas go dtí barr an leathanach!