Knock Iveagh facts for kids
Knock Iveagh is a special hill located near Rathfriland in County Down, Northern Ireland. Its name comes from the Irish words Cnoc Uíbh Eachach, which means 'hill of Iveagh'. This hill is very old and important! On top of it, you'll find an ancient burial cairn, which is like a pile of stones covering a burial spot. For a long time, Knock Iveagh was a significant place for the `Uí Eachach` tribe. In the Middle Ages, it was where the `Magennis` chiefs of `Iveagh` became leaders in a special ceremony.
What is the Knock Iveagh Cairn?
On the very top of Knock Iveagh, there's an ancient burial cairn. Imagine a small room or chamber covered by a big mound of stones and earth. This cairn is believed to be super old, dating back to around 4000 BC! That's about 6,000 years ago!
This ancient monument is protected by law. It's one of nearly 2,000 special sites in Northern Ireland that are kept safe. This means it's against the law to make any changes to the site without getting permission first.
Why is Knock Iveagh Historically Important?
The hill gets its name from an old Irish territory called Iveagh (Uíbh Eachach). This area was home to the `Magennis` family, who were important chiefs and later Viscounts of Iveagh. It's believed that the kings and chiefs of Iveagh had their special ceremonies to become leaders right on top of this hill.
Knock Iveagh was part of a larger area with many important historical sites for the Magennis family. These include:
- A church from the late Middle Ages used by the Magennises. Its exact location was a mystery, but local historians found it in 2010.
- The Magennis castle, which is in Rathfriland.
- A stone that might have been used for the Magennis chiefs' inauguration ceremonies.
Experts say that Knock Iveagh is a very important place for history. Gavin Hughes, from Trinity College Dublin, said that the hill is a "dominating feature" in an "exciting amphitheatre of multi-period archaeology." He believes that having so much history in one landscape is "very rare" and might even be "unique."
What Archaeological Work Has Been Done?
Not much archaeological digging or surveying has happened on Knock Iveagh. One of the few times was in 1957 by Pat Collins. Experts like Eamonn Kelly, who used to work at the National Museum of Ireland, think more research is needed. He believes there's a good chance of finding more ancient sites around the hill.
Knock Iveagh was even featured on a TV show called Lesser Spotted Ulster in 2014. More recently, in 2018, some early archaeological work suggested a possible link between the hill and Saint Patrick himself!
