Mound of Hostages

Mound of Hostages is the oldest visible monument on Tara Hill in County Meath. This Neolithic transitional tomb, built around 3,000 BC, was used as a burial site for more than 1,500 years.

The barrow is named after the medieval tradition of hostage exchanges. According to legends, the site is one of the main entrances to the Beyond, associated with the mythological tales of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The tomb's architecture includes a short corridor oriented to the southeast, presumably to align with smaller lunar points rather than sunrise.