A Hill View From the Hill of Slane

Hills are great and especially in a flat land like the Republic of Ireland. Because from every hill you have the best view ever!

Slane is a little town near to Navan, just a few miles far. It has mainly two crossing roads, and that’s it. The famous Slane Castle where every two years are held great important concerts during summer-time is known to many in the music-world.

I want to talk about an ancient place: the Hill of Slane. It’s just opposite to the castle and has much more than just a great view far over the lands.

Long before Saint Patrick arrived on the Celtic island the hill of Slane had a certain importance. It is believed that King Slàine from the folks of Fir Bolg is buried right here. On the buried place there was built a fort during Norman period.

Earthwork shows that maybe already during the Newgrange period there were some wooden forts and houses.

It is also believed that the Austrasian King (Austrasia is the kingdom of Merovingian Franks) Dagobert II lived here in exile around 660. Her was kidnapped as a young boy and brought out of his country.

The hill of Slane is an important place for the Celtic Christianity. Saint Patrick lit the Easter fire in 433 right here. Just one day before the holy fires in Tara were lit and would burn for one whole week. The law said that no other fire would have been lit which could be seen from Tara. So Saint Patrick was provoking the King. This was the end of one and the beginning of another period.

While the High King was very angry the Druids stopped him from any wrong decision and advised him to react wisely. They understood that a man who light a fire without fear has a lot of power. King Laoghaire invited the monk to see what makes him so powerful and fearless, what does he want? This is the moment the today symbol of Ireland came in the game: Saint Patrick took a shamrock to explain the Trinity. The High King decided to leave Saint Patrick on his mission and christian the country – but he won’t change confession.

Erc, a King’s follower, wanted to be baptized and became later the first bishop of Slane.

Today in memory of that fire the day before Easter they light a fire in the hill of Slane.

They found a small abbey, maybe Erc served in. On that ancient church there was built a new one around 1512 as Sir Christian Fleming founded a Franciscan order. The bell-tower is still today very impressive! The side nave was built only later.

The other building outside the graveyard, is a college where the monks and lay brothers lived to serve the church.

The graveyard has a lot of very ancient crosses and tombstones but also new ones. A friend’s family is lying here. Some of the headstones have great reliefs, not missing the skull with the crossing bones. Don’t think they have been pirates in life!

From the church there are still the main, outer walls. The small sacristy is still to see. The tombstones on the floor are in very bad conditions and I could not read anything.

The bell tower is still complete and really amazing. A pity there is no staircase to go up and have a view from there! I admired the high arch window, divided in three parts and well designed.

The house for the monks and lay brothers, called the College, is still in a good condition. Above the entrance there is a Heraldic figure which is not clear what to show exactly. The window openings have still he braces.

Inside on the right there is the Refectorium. Seen from the entrance on the left there is a beautiful dragon relief. On the right side but outside the Refectorium there are some spiral stairs you can climb up and have a wonderful view!

The hill is 158 meters over sea level and with good weather you can even see Dublin and the nearby Wicklow Mountains south of the capital.

I always loved this place and came many times here. It’s peaceful as there are nearly no tourists. No entrance fee, no guides and no messing around. People coming here often go away very soon – for many old stones are still only stones. I love to listen to these stones, they have seen and lived so much…..