Uisnech

Uisnech

Uisneach Hill is an historical site in County Westmeath located near the village of Ballymore, and is considered the omphalos (mystical navel) of Éire, the country known by the English name Ireland, whereupon rests a great stone ("Ail na Míreann", which means “stone of divisions”) marked with lines indicating the provincial borders of Connacht, Leinster, Ulster and Munster. Tradition tells that Uisneach was a site favored for Beltane fires and Druidical ceremonies, in fact being considered second only to Emain Macha. In the poetic history "Lebor Gabála Érenn" (“Book of the Takings of Ireland”), the Nemedian Druid Mide lit the first fire there. A fire was also lit on the Hill of Uisneach on the feast of Bealtaine. This fire could be seen from Tara and when they saw it they lit their fire.

According to a popular passage from the same record, Ériu, a tutelary goddess sometimes considered the personification of Éire, meets the invading Milesians at Uisneach hill, where after some conversation and drama the Milesian poet Amairgin promises to give the country her name. Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae" (History of the Kings of Britain) claims a common belief that Stonehenge was transported to Britain from Uisneach. St. Brigid of Christian legend, who is also notably connected with fire, took the veil at this sacred locus.

Based on co-ordinates alone this may be the site identified as Raiba or Riba, the capital of North Leinster by Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy), the Egyptian-Greek astronomer and cartographer, writing in his "Geographia" around the year A.D. 140.

Archaeologically the site consists of a set of monuments spreading over two square kilometres and includes enclosures and barrows, a megalithic tomb and two ancient roads. There was an excavation in the 1920s and this showed occupation evidence from Neolithic up to the medieval period.

References

*cite book | first=James | last=MacKillop | authorlink= | coauthors= | year=1998 | title=Dictionary of Celtic Mythology | edition= | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=New York, New York | id=ISBN 0-19-869157-2

*cite book | first=Phyllis G. | last=Jestice | authorlink= | coauthors= | year=2000 | title=Encyclopedia of Irish Spirituality | edition= | publisher=ABC-CLIO, Inc. | location=Santa Barbara, California | id=ISBN 1-57607-146-4


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  • Uisnech — /oosh neuhkh/, n. Irish Legend. the father of Naoise. Also called Uisliu. * * * …   Universalium

  • Uisnech — /oosh neuhkh/, n. Irish Legend. the father of Naoise. Also called Uisliu …   Useful english dictionary

  • Kings of Uisnech — The Kings of Uisnech were of the Uí Néill and one of its major southern branches, the Clann Cholmáin. The Hill of Uisnech is located in what is now County Westmeath, and was in early historic Ireland considered as the area where all five… …   Wikipedia

  • Hill of Uisnech — Der Hill of Uisnech (irisch Uisneach – Stolz) liegt an der Straße R390 von Ballymore nach Mullingar im County Westmeath und ist das geographische und spirituelle Zentrum des alten Irland. Uisnech ist ein: Festplatz zu Beltaine alter… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Murchad Midi — Murchad mac Diarmato redirects here. For the 11th century king of Dublin, see Murchad mac Diarmata. Ireland in the 8th century. The kingdom of Uisnech is not shown. It lies underneath the words Southern Uí Néill . Murchad mac Diarmato (died 715) …   Wikipedia

  • Domnall Midi — Ireland in the 8th century. The kingdoms of Uisnech and Mide are not shown; they lie underneath the words Southern Uí Néill . Domhnall Mac Murchada (died 20 November 763), called Domnall Midi (Donald of Meath), was High King of Ireland. He… …   Wikipedia

  • Colmán Már — mac Diarmato (died 555/558) was a King of Uisnech in Mide. He was the son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill (died 565), the high king of Ireland and also king of Uisnech. [Byrne, Table 3; Mac Niocaill, pg.80;Charles Edwards, Appendix III ] The annals do… …   Wikipedia

  • Fiachu mac Néill — (flourished 507–514)[1] was a king of Uisnech in Mide of the Ui Neill dynasty. He was the son of the high king Niall Noígíallach.[2] According to the king list in the Book of Leinster, he succeeded his brother Conall Cremthainne (died 480) as… …   Wikipedia

  • Óengus mac Colmáin — Bec (died 621)[1] was an Irish king. He was the King of Uisnech in Mide from 618 to 621.[2] He belonged to the southern Uí Néill. According to the genealogies, he was a son of Colmán Bec (died 587), son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill (died 565). The… …   Wikipedia

  • Suibne mac Colmáin Már — (died 600) was a King of Uisnech in Mide of the Clann Cholmáin. He was the son of Colmán Már mac Diarmato (died 555/558), also king of Uisnech. [Byrne, Table 3; Charles Edwards, Appendix III; Mac Niocaill, pg.80] He ruled Uisnech from 587 600.… …   Wikipedia

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