http___www.worldheritageireland.ie_ie_bru-na-boinne_an-culra-staire__1.xml
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© 2010 Dept. Environment, Heritage & Local Government. Designed and Developed by Roomthree.com Historical background The early medieval period The beginnings of history in Ireland coincide roughly with the introduction of both Christianity and writing in or about the early fifth century AD, though the record is very sparse for the first few centuries of the Christian era. Important churches were founded in due course close to Brú na Bóinne at Slane, Duleek and Monasterboice. On the political side this area was situated within the ancient territory of Brega, one of the many petty kingdoms or tuatha into which Ireland was divided in early medieval times. A branch of the powerful Southern Uí Néill, the Síl nAedo Sláine, established themselves at Knowth by about AD 800 and built their residence on the great passage-tomb mound. One member of this dynasty, Congalach, became king of Tara and high king of Ireland from 944 to 956. The Vikings raided Brega in the ninth century, but never founded a base here probably because of the power of the local kings. The high medieval period The twelfth century AD saw major changes in the Irish church with the establishment of territorial dioceses and the introduction of Continental monastic orders. The first Cistercian monastery in Ireland was founded at nearby Mellifont in 1142 and much of the land in the Bend of the Boyne was granted to this new foundation. The farming of these lands was organised from centres known as granges and initially one was founded on the mound at Knowth. By the fourteenth century a new farm centre was established further to the east and became known as the New Grange, and hence the name by which we know the most famous of the three large passage tombs. A large part of Ireland was conquered by the Anglo-Normans in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries and new lordships centred on castles were established across the country. Motte-and-bailey castles were constructed at Drogheda and Slane and the passage tomb mound at Knowth appears to have been used for a time as a motte. New settlers and the rediscovery of Newgrange At the suppression of the monasteries under Henry VIII about 1540 monastic property such as the land around Knowth and Newgrange was leased by the state to lay people and this process and the Cromwellian plantation of the mid-seventeenth century brought new English landowners and settlers into this area. Quarrying activities at the mound of Newgrange in 1699 by the owner Charles Campbell led to the rediscovery of the passage and chamber and fortunately they were described and drawn by the Welsh antiquary, Edward Lhwyd, that same year. Many other antiquaries visited the tomb over the following two centuries and various theories were propounded as to its date and purpose. State protection and World Heritage listing The tumuli of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were listed for protection as National Monuments in a schedule attached to the Ancient Monuments Protection Act, 1882. It was some time before they were formally taken into State care and more recently still before they were purchased outright by the State with adjoining land. Major archaeological excavations, followed by conservation and presentation works, have been carried out in the late twentieth century at both Newgrange and Knowth and both have become major visitor attractions. The entire complex of monuments at Brú na Bóinne was added to the World Heritage List in 1993 and a new visitor centre was opened across the river Boyne from the cemetery in 1997.
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© 2010 Dept. Environment, Heritage & Local Government. Designed and Developed by Roomthree.com An Cúlra staire Go luath i dtréimhse na meánaoiseanna Is ionann, a bheag nó a mhór, tús na staire in Éirinn agus an tráth a tugadh an Chríostaíocht agus an scríbhneoireacht isteach go luath sa chúigiú céad AD nó thart faoin am sin, cé gur tearc ar fad na taifid atá ar fáil do na chéad chúpla céad de ré na Críostaíochta. Cuireadh eaglaisí tábhachtacha ar bun in am is i dtráth gar do Bhrú na Bóinne ag Sláine, Damhliag agus Mainistir Bhuithe. ó thaobh cúrsaí polaitíochta, bhí an limistéar sin lonnaithe laistigh de chríocha seanda Thuaisceart Breá, ceann den iliomad ríochtaí beaga nó tuath ina raibh Éire roinnte sa chéad chuid de thréimhse na meánaoiseanna. Dhaingnigh craobh de mhuintir chumhachtach Uí Néill an Deiscirt, Síl nAedo Sláine, iad féin ag Cnóbha faoin mbliain AD 800 agus thóg siad a n-ionaid chónaithe ar dhumha an tuama mhóir pasáiste. Rinneadh rí na Teamhrach agus ardrí na hÉireann de dhuine den ríshliocht sin, Congalach, ón mbliain 944 go dtí 956. Thug na Lochlannaigh ruaig chreiche ar Thuaisceart Breá sa naoú céad, ach níor dhaingnigh siad bunáit dóibh féin riamh anseo mar gheall ar chumhacht na ríthe áitiúla, is dócha. An ardtréimhse mheánaoiseach Tharla athruithe móra in eaglais na hÉireann sa dóú céad déag AD agus bhí deoisí teorann á mbunú agus oird rialta mhanachúla ón Mór-Roinn ag teacht isteach. Bunaíodh an chéad mhainistir de chuid na gCistéirseach ag Mellifont gar don áit sa bhliain 1141 agus deonaíodh cuid mhór den talamh sa limistéar mar a lúbann Abhainn na Bóinne don fhoras nua sin. Eagraíodh an fheirmeoireacht ar na tailte sin ó ionaid ar a dtugtaí gráinseacha agus bunaíodh ceann amháin díobh ar an dumha ag Cnóbha ar dtús. Faoin gceathrú céad déag, bunaíodh ionad nua feirme níos faide soir ar ar tugadh an Ghráinseach Nua, agus is as sin a tháinig an t-ainm Béarla a thugtar ar an gceann is cáiliúla de na trí thuama mhóra pasáiste. Chuir na hAngla-Normannaigh cuid mhór d’Éirinn faoi chois sa chuid deiridh den dóú céad déag agus sa chéad chuid den tríú céad déag agus bunaíodh tiarnais nua, ar chaisleáin a bpríomhionaid, ar fud na tíre. Tógadh caisleáin ag a raibh móta agus bábhún ag Droichead ítha agus ag Sláine agus is cosúil gur úsáideadh dumha an tuama pasáiste ag Cnóbha mar mhóta ar feadh tamaill. íitritheoirí nua agus Sí an Bhrú á fionnadh an athuair Tráth a raibh na mainistreacha á gcur faoi chois faoi riail Anraí VIII thart faoin mbliain 1540, thug an stát maoin mainistreacha amhail an talamh timpeall ar Chnóbha agus ar Shí an Bhrú ar léas do thuataí agus de bharr an phróisis sin agus phlándáil Chromail i lár an seachtú haois déag, tháinig úinéirí nua talún agus áitritheoirí nua as Sasana isteach sa limistéar seo. De bharr gníomhaíochtaí cairéalachta chun ábhar cloiche a fháil ar dhumha Shí an Bhrú sa bhliain 1699, a bhí ar siúl ag an úinéir, Charles Campbell, athfhionnadh an pasáiste agus an seomra agus ar an dea-uair, rinne an t-ársaitheoir ón mBreatain Bheag, Edward Lhwyd, cuntas agus líníochtaí faoin áit sa bhliain chéanna. Is iomaí ársaitheoir eile a thug cuairt ar an tuama le linn an dhá chéad bhliain ina dhiaidh agus moladh go leor teoiricí maidir leis an dáta agus an cuspóir a bhain le Sí an Bhrú. Cosaint ón Stát agus liostú mar Oidhreacht Dhomhanda Liostaíodh tuamanna Shí an Bhrú, Chnóbha agus Dhubhadh go gcosnófaí mar Shéadchomharthaí Náisiúnta iad i sceideal a ghabh leis an Ancient Monuments Protection Act, 1882. Tharla gur imigh na blianta sular ghlac an Stát cúram foirmiúil air féin ina leith agus ba dhéanaí ná sin fós a cheannaigh an Stát iad ar fad, chomh maith leis an talamh taobh leis na suíomhanna. Rinneadh tochailtí móra seandálaíochta, chomh maith le hoibreacha caomhnúcháin agus láithreoireachta ina ndiaidh, sa chuid deiridh den fhichiú haois ag Sí an Bhrú agus ag Cnóbha agus is mór an tóir atá ag cuairteoirí ar dá áit dá bharr. Cuireadh coimpléasc iomlán na séadchomharthaí ag Brú na Bóinne ar an Liosta Oidhreachta Domhanda i 1993 agus osclaíodh ionad nua do chuairteoirí trasna Abhainn na Bóinne ón reilig i 1997.