TaraWatch

Tara in Old Irish Literature:
The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel: Tara and the Law

One of the most famous references to Tara in Old Irish literature is in the story
“The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel”.
This story is part of the Uliad or Ulster Cycle, which concentrates on the stories of Conchobhair (Ulster) and Maebh (Connaught). The Tara related stories instead tell of Conaire Mór, an important King of Tara whose reign brought great peace and prosperity. In the pseudo history and genealogy of Irish kings, Conaire Mór succeeded his stepfather Eterscel as “high king” of Ireland. In effect as there never actually was a true high king, he succeeded as King of Tara and Leinster. He had many followers from other provinces, such as Conall Cernall and Cormac, son of Conchobar. His reign marked a period of peace and prosperity, until his foster-brothers broke his law for pillage.

Conaire Mór was burdened by many “geis” magical taboos imposed on Heroes and Kings in ancient Irish sagas. He tried hard not to break them, thus ensuring that he ruled with “Firenne” or instrinsic Truth, bringing prosperity. However his partiality for his foster brothers led him to break one of these gies, by not imposing the Law of the land on them for their misdeamenours. This sparks off a disastrous chain of events which leads to the destruction of the King and his followers at Da Derga’s hostel.
Conaire Mór was a Law giver: he settled disputes both between separate tuatha or between individuals, banning and punishing cattle raids and clan wars. Violence was not tolerated. His reign was marked by a period of peace, and all of Ireland prospered: the duns were flourishing, the weathers were kind, allowing bountiful harvest. However, the moment he decides to put himself and his family/cronies interests above the law, he brings disaster. The law, based on Firenne, is a sacred concept, and cannot be avoided, cheated or bent.
Another lesson about the law is taught by Conaire Mór: that once we bend it, we are on a slippery downward slope. Conaire Mór’s geis when he came to power were:
· He must not circle clockwise around Tara and anti-clockwise around Bergia.
· He must avoid hunting the monster of Cerna.
· He must not leave Tara every ninth night.
· He must avoid sleeping in a house that shows firelight after sunset.
· He must not interfere with a quarrel between his two thralls.
· He must prevent raid and looting during his reign.
· He must not follow three Reds to the House of Red.
· After sunset, he must not allow a man and a woman enter the house he was staying.
Conaire Mór rationalizes the breaking of one law – he allows his own foster brothers to evade punishment for pillage and looting – and it all goes downwards from there.
Conaire Mór prophesies the destruction of Tara, recounted by the bandit Ingcél:

He slept again, and awoke there out, and sang this rhetoric:
“The howl of Ossar* . . . a battle he announced: enslavement of a people: sack of the Hostel: mournful are the champions: men wounded: wind of terror: hurling of javelins: trouble of unfair fight: wreck of houses: Tara waste: a foreign heritage: like is lamenting Conaire: destruction of corn: feast of arms: cry of screams: destruction of Erin’s king: chariots a-tottering: oppression of the king of Tara: lamentations will overcome laughter: Ossar’s howl.”
He said the third time:

The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel is available online: the most commonly used version is the Whitely Stokes, D.C.L. Epic and Saga, Harvard Classics no. 49 New York, P. F. Collier & son [1910]