The famous standing stone on the Hill of Tara was vandalised last night Readers like you keep news free for everyone. More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal. For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away. Support us today Not now Contribute : Support us now Dublin: 13°C Saturday 24 September 2022 Irish News FactCheck Voices The Good Information Project Ukraine Newsletters Podcasts More Close Weekly Podcast The Explainer The Explainer is a weekly podcast from TheJournal.ie that takes a deeper look at one big news story you need to know about. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts Newsletters : Sign Up Morning Memo Coronavirus Brexit Temperature Check The Evening Fix Sections & Topics Climate Crisis Business International Family Politics Property Culture Partner Publications The42 The latest Irish and international sports news for readers and members Noteworthy A platform helping fund the type of in-depth journalism that the public wants to see Support The Journal Advertisement The famous standing stone on the Hill of Tara was vandalised last night The criminal damage has been widely condemned today. By Neil Jackman Thursday 29 May 2014, 3:20 PM May 29th 2014, 3:20 PM 37,547 Views 144 Comments https://jrnl.ie/1491674 Share601 Tweet145 Email43 The famous standing stone on the Hill of Tara was vandalised last night Previous 1 / 3Next Lia Fáil Source: Neil Jackman Lia Fáil Source: Neil Jackman Lia Fáil Source: Neil Jackman Previous Source: Neil Jackman" title=""> Source: Neil Jackman" title=""> Source: Neil Jackman" title=""> Next A FEATURE ON the world famous Hill of Tara was badly vandalised last night. During the incident, two tins of thick gloss paint were poured over the Lia Fáil. 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. Advertisement 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. The Office of Public Works said it abhors and condemns the vandalism, adding that the damage is being assessed. Minister Jimmy Deenihan also expressed his outrage. I condemn in the strongest terms the damage that has been caused to one of our most iconic ancient monuments. This act of mindless vandalism, on one of our premier archaeological sites, is truly shameful. This same stone pillar was vandalised two years ago. During that 2012 attack, someone struck it a number of times with a hammer. It is still unclear whether the two cases are related. This is one of a number of cases of theft and vandalism that have affected Irish heritage sites in recent years. One of the best things about Ireland for visitors is the sheer openness of our historical sites, unlike some other countries where they are kept under lock and key, inaccessible throughout the year. Attacks like these puts this openness in severe jeopardy, if they continue the only answer would be to protect the sites with higher levels of security. This may have significant detrimental consequences to tourism – Failte Ireland statistics show that in 2012, two thirds (65%) of visitors claimed that heritage/culture was the key motivation in visiting Ireland. Making a difference A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Support us Learn more Our heritage sites are incredibly strong economic, educational and spiritual assets. The Hill of Tara itself was described by William Butler Yeats, George Moore and Douglas Hyde as ‘probably the most consecrated spot in Ireland’, and today it attracts large numbers of visitors from all over the world. It remains as one of the most instantly recognisable and significant archaeological landscapes in Ireland. The Lia Fáil will need to be thoroughly assessed in order to develop the safest plan for removing the paint and restoring the stone without damaging it any further. If anyone was on the Hill of Tara or in the general area, between 5pm yesterday evening and 10am this morning and if you saw anything out of the ordinary or suspicious please do get in touch with Navan Garda Station on 046-9079930. Neil Jackman is an archaeologist and contributor to TheJournal.ie. You can discover great heritage sites and places on Neil’s blog, Time Travel Ireland. All photographs © Neil Jackman /abartaaudioguides.com Dig this: How we plan to get to heart of one of Ireland’s most mysterious sites Short URL About the author: About the author Neil Jackman @JackmanNeil info@abartaaudioguides.com See more articles by Neil Jackman Contribute to this story: Send a Correction Read next: Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site 600px wide <iframe width="600" height="460" frameborder="0" style="border:0px;" src="https://www.thejournal.ie/https://www.thejournal.ie/hill-of-tara-stone-damaged-1491674-May2014/?embedpost=1491674&width=600&height=460" ></iframe> 400px wide <iframe width="600" height="460" frameborder="0" style="border:0px;" src="https://www.thejournal.ie/https://www.thejournal.ie/hill-of-tara-stone-damaged-1491674-May2014/?embedpost=1491674&width=400&height=460" ></iframe> 300px wide <iframe width="600" height="460" frameborder="0" style="border:0px;" src="https://www.thejournal.ie/https://www.thejournal.ie/hill-of-tara-stone-damaged-1491674-May2014/?embedpost=1491674&width=300&height=460" ></iframe> Email “The famous standing stone on the Hill of Tara was vandalised last night”. Your Email Recipient's Email Submit Feedback on “The famous standing stone on the Hill of Tara was vandalised last night”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Submit Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please select your reason for reporting... It contains offensive language, is hateful or incites violence It contains a libellous/defamatory statement Some other reason... Please give full details of the problem with the comment... Your Email Submit COMMENTS (144) Read Next: Download our app Trending Opinions Opinion: The new childcare ‘Core Funding’ is positive news but more is needed in the budget Regina Bushell Regina Bushell of Seas Suas childcare group says recent changes are to be welcomed, but Budget 2023 must not forget the sector. Tom Clonan: Putin has made another strategic blunder but this is a dangerous moment Tom Clonan The security analyst looks at the Russian president’s latest move and the level of threat he now poses. Money Diaries: Have you curbed your spending - would you like to keep a diary for us? TheJournal.ie reader As we face the cost of living crisis, we’d like you to keep a Money Diary to let us know how your spending and savings are changing. ∞ About Us About Us We're Hiring! Contact Us Advertise With Us The Journal FactCheck Follow Us Twitter Facebook Corrections Report Content Policies Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Comments Copyright Competition Content copyright © Journal Media Ltd. 2022 Registered in Dublin, registration number: 483623. Registered office: 3rd floor, Latin Hall, Golden Lane, Dublin 8. TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy. News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. Wire service provided by Associated Press. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites. Switch to Mobile Site Sites: TheJournal.ie | Noteworthy | The42 | Boards.ie | Adverts.ie | Daft.ie Please log in to comment RSS feeds available here: TheJournal.ie Latest News Feed The famous standing stone on the Hill of Tara was vandalised last night Comments Report an error, omission or problem: Message: Your Email (optional) Submit Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Submit