King Mesgegra's Mound facts for kids
 Location in Ireland
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| Location | Carrigeen, Clane, County Kildare, Ireland |
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| Coordinates | 53°17′14″N 6°41′03″W / 53.287093°N 6.684180°W |
| Type | Motte |
| Diameter | 43 m (140 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | earth |
| Periods | Iron Age |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | yes |
King Mesgegra's Mound is an old earth mound in Clane, County Kildare, Ireland. It is a special type of ancient site called a motte. A motte is like a small hill, often built for a castle or fort. This mound is famous because of old Irish stories and its history.
Contents
Where is King Mesgegra's Mound?
King Mesgegra's Mound is located south of Clane. It is about 160 metres (540 ft) northwest of a place where people could cross the River Liffey. This crossing point is called a ford.
History and Legends
This mound has a long and interesting history. It is linked to ancient Irish legends and later to the Normans.
The Legend of Mesgegra
According to old Irish stories called the Ulster Cycle legends, a king named Mesgegra ruled Leinster. He met a warrior from Ulster named Conall Cernach at the ford in Clane. Conall won the fight and cut off Mesgegra's head.
He then placed the head in a special hollowed-out stone called a bullaun stone. Mesgegra's body was said to be buried under King Mesgegra's Mound. His head was buried separately at Mainham, north of Clane, along with his wife Buan. This exciting story is told in an old book from the 12th century called Tallaind Etair ("The Siege of Howth").
Norman Influence
Later, in the 12th century, the Normans came to Ireland and took control of Clane. They built on top of the mound. It was probably built by a person named Richard de Hereford. This shows how important the mound was through different times in history.
Sunday's Well
At the bottom of the mound, there used to be a warm spring called Sunday's Well. A spring is a place where water flows out of the ground. This spring was about 13 °C (55 °F) warm. It was one of only ten such warm springs found in all of Ireland. Today, this spring is covered over.
