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<< Our Photo Pages >> Lia Fail - Standing Stone (Menhir) in Ireland (Republic of) in Co. Meath

Submitted by Klingon on Saturday, 31 May 2014  Page Views: 17731

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Lia Fail Alternative Name: Lia Fáil, The Stone of Destiny
Country: Ireland (Republic of) County: Co. Meath Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Navan  Nearest Village: Kilmessan
Map Ref: N9197659625
Latitude: 53.578634N  Longitude: 6.612142W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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wcdarling visited on 19th Nov 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3 Located at the top of the Royal Seat (Forradh). It has been set up with a ring of bricked in a circle around the base. It looks super phallic. The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) at which the High Kings of Ireland were crowned. from Wikipedia (backed by our guide): “According to legend, the stone would scream if a series of challenges were met by the would-be king. At his touch the stone would let out a screech that could be heard all over Ireland.” For a significant period the stone was kept elsewhere to prevent the English from getting hold of it.

lichen visited on 11th Oct 2014 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 4

Jansold visited on 13th Sep 2014 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

bat400 visited on 1st Mar 2007 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Klingon visited on 2nd Apr 2005 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5

Macha visited - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4

kith visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4

neolithique02 DrewParsons AngieLake have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.86 Ambience: 4.43 Access: 4

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by dodomad : The Lia Fáil stone on the world famous Hill of Tara was badly vandalised in May 2014. During the incident, two tins of thick gloss paint were poured over the stone. Image copyright Neil Jackman from Tima Travel Ireland, used with permission. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Standing Stone in Co. Meath. Atop the hill of Tara stands a stone pillar that was the Irish Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) on which the High Kings of Ireland were crowned; legends suggest that the stone was required to roar three times if the chosen one was a true king.

A theory that may predate the Hill of Tara's splendor before Celtic times is the legendary story naming the Hill of Tara as the capital of the Tuatha Dé Danann, pre-Celtic dwellers of Ireland. When the Celts established a seat in the hill, the hill became the place from which the kings of Mide ruled Ireland. There is much debate among historians as to how far the King's influence spread; it may have been as little as the middle of Ireland, or may have been all the northern half.

More at Wikipedia

Note: Lia Fáil stone vandalised again, this time with gloss paint, see the latest comment on our page for more details
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Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by KenWilliams : The Lia Fáil and the eclipsed moon 4/3/07. Though the moon was fully in shadow and a blood red colour, the long exposure renders it a glowing orb (and also luckily renders the people walking in and out during the exposure invisible!). (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by KenWilliams : The Stone of Destiny at Tara Lia Fail, late evening 3/9/06 (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by AngieLake : The Stone of Destiny at Tara (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by KenWilliams : The Stone of Destiny at Tara The 'Kings Seat' or An Forradh in Gaeilic with the Lia Fáil in the dead centre and to the right of it the memorial tombstone. (3 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by  : (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by wcdarling : The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) at which the High Kings of Ireland were crowned. from Wikipedia (backed by our guide): “According to legend, the stone would scream if a series of challenges were met by the would-be king. At his touch the stone would let out a screech that could be heard all over Ireland.” For a significant period the stone was kept elsewhere to prevent the English from gettin... (1 comment)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by Bladup : The moody Lia Fail.

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by DrewParsons : Visited in October 2010.

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by KenWilliams : The Stone of Destiny at Tara Early morning sun casting long shadows from the Stone of Destiny. This view is looking roughly northwards. (2 comments)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by neolithique02 : Tara Hill Image copyright: Néolithique02, hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API. (1 comment)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by AngieLake : It may be worth keeping this larger version of the photo of Tara's Lia Fail along with the original smaller one, as it goes back to 2001. I prefer the stone without the fancy paving around it, btw. (As explained previously, a light fault in my Nikon film camera ruined many precious shots.) (1 comment)

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by Bladup : Sunset with Lia Fail.

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by wcdarling : Wide view of the Royal Seat, with the Stone of Destiny the Lia Fail at left, a gravestone at right.

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by wcdarling : Member of my tour group meditating at foot of the stone. The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) at which the High Kings of Ireland were crowned. from Wikipedia (backed by our guide): “According to legend, the stone would scream if a series of challenges were met by the would-be king. At his touch the stone would let out a screech that could be heard all over Ireland.” For a significant period t...

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by dodomad : Officials inspect the damage to the Lia Fáil stone, which was in May 2014. During the incident, two tins of thick gloss paint were poured over the stone. Image copyright Neil Jackman from Tima Travel Ireland, used with permission.

Lia Fail
Lia Fail submitted by neolithique02 : Tara Hill Image copyright: Néolithique02, hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.

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"Lia Fail" | Login/Create an Account | 9 News and Comments
  
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Re: Lia Fail by Anonymous on Thursday, 31 December 2020
Are you going to replant three more trees to make up for the Hawthorn that fell? Hill of Tara is calling me. Sense 2010 or 11 when I was at art school I was drawn to The Temple of Isis on the Nile. A profound spiritual experience happened many years prior. The Egyptian Goddess wrapped her wings from behind me. All I was doing was sitting talking to a friend in his friends living room. Felt warm but cool. Crown chakra opened like hundreds of dominos falling. I was brilliant gold and a rainbow was behind me. Right ear heard a women’s voice saying,”Golden Eagle.” That’s me by the way. A year later I found a Papyrus with Osiris sitting on his throne and Isis behind him wrapping her wings around him. At that temple there is a corridor. Down at the end was a stone that believe was the Stone of Destiny. That’s were the king thing came from. The Egyptian God was broken torn up in a thousand pieces, Seth was his name. Isis put him back together. A king is about the restoration of a soul in physical form. A long a path are many choices to be made.
[ Reply to This ]

Trees endangered at Tara through visitors' misinterpretation of ancient use. by Runemage on Saturday, 20 July 2019
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These fairy thorn trees stand near the Lia Fail and are being killed by visitors' misinterpretation of their use.

'Wishing trees' at a Co Meath heritage site are falling from the weight of underwear, handcuffs and plastic relics which are being hung from their branches, according to locals.
The Tara Skryne Preservation Group is now appealing to visitors to the Hill of Tara to stop suffocating the trees after one of the hawthorns fell recently.

The fallen hawthorn is one of two so-called 'wishing' or 'fairy trees' on the Hill of Tara, between which visitors stand and request something new in their life.

In line with old tradition, small bits of linen or cotton strips were tied loosely to the trees in the belief that an ailment would wither as the cloth decayed.
However, in recent years visitors have been tying hundreds of items including nappies, plastic cards, bras and even handcuffs to the branches of the trees, which stand near the Lia Fáil stone. Coins have also been hammered into the bark.
Although locals have made an effort to clean up the trees over the years, one fell recently.

John Farrelly, a member of the group, said: "The trees can't carry all this junk which gets heavier in rain and people have been hammering coins and penetrating their protective layer, leaving them open to poisoning from fungal diseases.
"Another fairy tree on the hill is also in bad condition and we have to act now to save the others."

Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wishing-tree-falls-under-the-weight-of-visitors-relics-38312824.html
[ Reply to This ]

Lia Fáil stone vandalised again, this time with gloss paint by Andy B on Saturday, 31 May 2014
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The Lia Fáil stone on the world famous Hill of Tara was badly vandalised on Thursday night. During the incident, two tins of thick gloss paint were poured over the stone.

The Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny) is believed to have played an important part in Kingship rituals.

When the rightful king placed his foot on the stone it is said to have called out his name, declaring him High King of Ireland. It was said to have originally been positioned next to the Mound of the Hostages, the Neolithic passage tomb at Tara, and was moved to its current position on top of the Forradh in 1824 in commemoration of the 1798 Rebellion.

Some time between 5pm yesterday evening and 10am this morning, someone accessed the site carrying two tins of thick gloss paint (one red and one green). They seemingly ignored the rest of the monuments on the hill and went straight for the Lia Fáil, emptying first the red, then the thick green paint over the stone pillar.

Given the circumstances, it appears that it may have been premeditated, though it is hard to understand any reasons why someone would commit this appalling act of vandalism.

More, with images of the damage at
http://www.thejournal.ie/hill-of-tara-stone-damaged-1491674-May2014/ and http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/garda-investigation-after-iconic-ancient-stone-at-hill-of-tara-vandalised-with-paint-30314709.html
[ Reply to This ]

Tara natinal monument vandalised in attack with hammer by Andy B on Friday, 15 June 2012
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An Irish national monument that is said to have served as the coronation stone for the High Kings of Tara has been vandalised, it was revealed today.

Minister for Heritage Jimmy Deenihan condemned the attack on the Lia Fáil (stone of destiny) Standing Stone, which is situated on the Hill of Tara in Co Meath.

The standing stone, which is believed to date from 3,500BC, is considered an extremely important national monument and features extensively in ancient texts. The granite stone is associated with the inauguration rites for the Kings of Tara and was moved to its current position in the early 19th century.

The monument was reported to be damaged last weekend, but it is unknown when the attack occurred.

An archaeologist from the National Monuments Service examined the monument this week and concluded it had been struck – possibly with a hammer or similar instrument – at 11 places on all four faces of the stone. Fragments of the standing stone were also removed.

A report has been sent to the Garda.

More in the Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0614/1224317878109.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0613/breaking53.html?utm_source=News&utm_medium=Post&utm_content=Tara%2Bmonument%2Battack%2Bcondemned&utm_campaign=In%2Bhouse%2BFacebook
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    Re: Tara natinal monument vandalised in attack with hammer by Runemage on Friday, 15 June 2012
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    "Fragments of the standing stone were also removed."
    Mindless souvenir hunter??
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Tara natinal monument vandalised in attack with hammer by Blingo_von_Trumpenstein on Friday, 15 June 2012
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    The real vandalism here was on a massive scale all round Tara. It saddens me greatly to look at the list of nearby sites and to know that many previously unknown sites were destroyed by the road rape. Gutted to hear the stone has been damaged. I think it probably is the original stone. The locals all think so . . .
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Tara natinal monument vandalised in attack with hammer by neolithique02 on Saturday, 16 June 2012
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    Thursday June 14 2012

    GARDAI are hunting vandals who attacked a 5,500-year-old standing stone at the Hill of Tara in Co Meath with a hammer.

    Damage has been caused in 11 places on all four faces of the Lia Fail Standing Stone -- also know as the 'Stone of Destiny' -- which is mentioned in ancient texts about the High Kings of Ireland.

    Minister for Arts and Heritage Jimmy Deenihan last night said his department was examining the possibility of increasing surveillance at such monuments.

    An archaeologist from the National Monuments Service carried out a detailed examination of the monument after the Office of Public Works (OPW) discovered the damage at the weekend.

    Archaeologist Tom Condit said the damage was visible on the stone's surface but a search of the area did not reveal any of the fragments, which may indicate that they were taken away.

    Mr Condit said such "obviously wanton" damage was rare.

    "It is disturbing that someone would select a site as well known and as vulnerable as that," he said.

    But Mr Condit warned that "short of closing sites off" it was difficult to protect them.

    He urged anyone with information to inform the gardai.

    Under the National Monuments acts, anyone convicted of interfering with a national monument can face a fine of up to €10m or five years' imprisonment.

    Dr Conor Newman, chairman of the Heritage Council, said: "So many of our items are out in the open and it is a terrible breach of the trust that we rely on to protect and guard such monuments. It wouldn't be the right thing or possible to police all monuments. We rely on trust, public vigilance.''

    - Louise Hogan

    Irish Independent
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: The Stone of Destiny at Tara by Anonymous on Friday, 01 September 2006
I have been to visit this, and I really don't believe it is the original stone. I loved visiting Tara, and reveled in the memory of the glory in the day. These are wonderful images of the Hill. I will return soon to view this again.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: The Stone of Destiny at Tara by Anonymous on Thursday, 12 June 2014
    I agree wholeheartedly with your comment on it's authenticity as the true "Lia Fail", To my knowledge it was used as a Gnomen, and moved to it's present location, The True Lia Fail lies in the province of Connacht in a dingy shed, and is known as The TUROE STONE !!!!
    [ Reply to This ]

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