Tara, hill of (Co. Meath). A sacred site for at least two millennia, going back as far as the Neolithic period, the hilltop shows evidence of many structures. It later became a central site for the five provinces to hold assembly and conduct markets and fairs. In Irish mythology Tara is the royal seat of kings.

A Dictionary of British History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.