Midsummer's Festival on Tara

by Penduka Sun Jun 10, 2007 16:58

Fantastic stuff. I can't wait for the festival to begin! Given the events of last week, this will also be a celebration of the World Monuments Fund's recognition of Tara as being one of the world's most endangered sites. Let us cherish this year's solstice, and pray that we may still see the stars at Tara for many years to come.

by sfinnegan Mon Jun 11, 2007 15:19 sheabyrnefinnegan at yahoo dot com indiana

i wish i could be there for this festival. however i am currently bound financially to the u.s. i hope your message gets through to those who have decision making power and that they will reconsider that crazy highway expansion. while it may help the commuters, it will defile the landscape and "americanize" the people, who will be in such a great hurry that they will begin to forget to appreciate what is all around them. i don't travel to ireland because the roads are bigger and better and faster than anywhere else. in fact, i fear that with it's economic success ireland will lose her charm and sense of history. when that happens i will stop coming to ireland. if i wanted to see highways and shopping malls i could stay in the u.s. which is overrun with them.

thank you for having this festival. feel free to pass this along to anyone interested.

by James Mon Jun 11, 2007 15:54

Hi,

I would be interested in going to Tara for this, I have never been and think I could do with a trip to develop my appreciation for our own heritage and Tara especially. Iv checked the website and cant find anything on their.

Is it possible to camp??

by TaraWatch Mon Jun 11, 2007 16:44

Yes, there is plenty of space to camp.

http://www.myspace.com/summersolsticetara

This has a list of artists confirmed for the event.

by TaraWatch Sun Jun 17, 2007 19:28 0879728603

This year's solstice at Tara will be more significant than any in recent years, as Tara now needs us more than ever. We hope to see many of you up there this week, and I know people have been asking about practicalities.

As said before, there is plenty of room for camping up there so bring tents, sleeping bags, stoves and any other relevant camping equipment.

There aren't really any shops nearby, so it is important to bring food, water bottles(there is water available in a well), cooking utensils etc.

We also request that people bring any rubbish that they generate home with them, and that we leave Tara as we found it (unlike our friends in the government)

by PHW - www.theisbook.com Sat Jun 19, 2010 13:33 phwalsh at ireland dot com

Hi

I am just dropping a quick note to see if anyone leaving from Dublin would be interested in giving 2 people a lift on the Monday and coming back on the Tuesday morning?

I have just returned to Ireland after a prolonged period of travel around a lot of the world and due to the state of the country at the moment it is looking like this may be my last chance to visit Tara at this magical time of the year.

If you are going out then please email phwalsh@ireland.com and let me know your travel details.

I would be delighted to accompany you all there this year, and sure if I dont make it, then I wish you all a fantastic time and a great summer.

Patrick

All proceeds given to various local charities

by Astronomer. Sat Jun 19, 2010 14:16

It does not become dark on Tara in late June.

At approx 53 degrees north Tara is just about 20 degrees south of the Arctic Circle.

If the sky is cloudless you will be able to see the sun dip briefly below the horizon for a few hours.

But it will not become dark.

You can follow twilight from evening to morning as the sun briefly dips below the horizon.

No clouds = no darkness in late June at 53 degrees north.

No wonder the ancients were spooked.

by rich Sat Jun 19, 2010 16:12

The days & dates in the original article are wrong , unless you are running on some magical calendar of your own ?

by Astronomer. Sat Jun 19, 2010 16:56

"The days & dates in the original article are wrong , unless you are running on some magical calendar of your own ?"

A simple examination of a Sine wave shows that the top(or bottom) is flat enough over a good portion of the curve.

It took Kepler to figure out that that Solar System orbits are not circular.
They are elliptipic.

Never mind.
They are almost circular.

Late June evenings means long evenings.
Late december nights means short nights

You would be hard pushed to measure the difference between the lenght of daylight on any two consecutive days in late June.

Enjoy the long June days.

by Camper Sat Jun 19, 2010 19:25

Earlier a group of individuals arrived at the Hill and attempted to set up camp in the Auld Triangle. Michael Maguire came out and shunted them off telling them he owned the land- he dosnt. Now MD Security, the same thugs that worked below on the Moherway are arriving on the scene.

Amazing isnt it that with all the Govt cutbacks they can still afford to send in security to stop some harmless camping by people who are arriving to welcome the dawn of the Summer Solstice at this sacred spot as their ancerstors have done for generations.

Shame on them.

by Astronomer Sun Jun 20, 2010 21:34

You don't need to be on Tara to see the sight.

Just get yourself away from streetlights.

Thousands are flocking to northern Scandinavia to see "The Land of Midnight Sun."

We who live a bit more south in Ireland have "Midnight Twilight".

by Camper 2 Mon Jun 21, 2010 09:09

It's scandalous what's going on down there. I was there yesterday and the gates were guarded by four M3 workers and two OPW trucks. I heard a woman in her sixties had to sleep out under the stars because she wasnt able to put up her tent. Nice and all as that must be she was exposed to the dew and the cold, not so nice. The atmosphere was tense with verbal stand offs between foul mouthed security and some angered protesters.

by Damien M Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:23

Some pics of the sunset

by Tara Tara Tara Mon Jun 21, 2010 17:53

You should have stuck around. About 12 tents went up all together at the same time later in the night. The security did nothing. Everyone had a wonderful time listening to poets, musicians and storytellers from the Vigil over the years who came back again to celebrate Irish culture into the early hours of the morning. Several film crews got great footage for documentaries including updates from protesters on what is currently going on ( perhaps the real reason that kept the OPW and security at bay) and at Dawn a large crowd from all over went up to the Lia Fáil on the Hill for some fabulous ceremonies. This evening Coscán are playing trad music in the church and so the celebration continues in style. It was the best Summer Solstice on the Hill since 2005.

Anyone got more pics to add to the lovely ones of the sunset above? I need a new camera!!! Would love to see one of the tents up after all that guff :)

Tara abú!

by Tara Tara Tara Mon Jun 21, 2010 18:51

Enjoy :)

by Damien Mon Jun 21, 2010 22:03

Solstice at Tara

by lazy Tue Jun 22, 2010 16:53

The images are stunning, I hope everyone had an excellent time.

http://www.savetara.com