TARA'S HALL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1559, 16 May 1887, Page 3

TARA'S HALL

Thosing, "The Harp that onco through Tara'a Halle," eto , allnden to a legend, narrated ri pure matter of fact by many Irish historians, bnt whioh most other people will hesitate to aocept withuut the proverbial grain of sat. Thomas Moore like moat of his couhtrymon, implioitly believed the fables bet forth m all seriousness by a class of writers who by chronioliug os well established truths the tradition!) of an imaginative people, brought a great deal of ridicule upon Irish history generally. Instead of atat irq the faota positively kaown°ab?ut the high state of civilisation of Ireland In a barbarous age, they adopted a serif b of legends which solely pointsd, without the slightest degree of .probability, to a supposed prst grandeur. Upon these many of Moore's images are founded. In the county of Moath Btnnda the " Hill ofTara"upon whioh, according to ancient bards, once stood "Toßghmhor/ 1 or "the great house," which waa flourishing In a Btate of magnificence m the sixth century. Here tho triennial Parlinnientß of the kingdom were held. la -walla sheltered all the 1-arned mon of tho age, who taught he;e the uolencea and artn. The palace was fi.r'oiir'y the Beat of o>nn of the hundred battles, and of man; kings who ruhd after him. In the reiga of Cormao, 1000 guests were dally outertalned, and tLe description of the vast B?Z9 of tha building and the state of Bplendour kept up would eclipse anything to be found m "Tho Arabian Wights." Of all this, however, there now remains nothing, not even a single stone. There are, however, aime traces of an earthen , entrenchment, which possible might be more probably referred to another period of history. Moore 1 * fine song, of ooarse, treats of tho splendid noenea m and the gtnerally satisfactory life led when •' Teaghmhor " waa m its fullest glory, and " Ere the emerald gem of the western world waa worn In the orown of the Blranger."