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Oweynagat
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- Name
- Oweynagat
- Continent
- EUROPE
- Alt Name:
- Cave of the Cats
- Country:
- Ireland
- Period:
- Iron Age
- Sub-Region:
- Northern Europe
- Date:
- 500BC - 401BC
- City/Town:
- Tulsk
- Figure:
- -
- Resorts:
- Tulsk,
- Related:
- Rathcroghan, Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery,
Newgrange,
about Oweynagat
Oweynagat (cave of the cats) is a pre-Christian spiritual site located within the Rathcroghan Royal Complex of North Co. Roscommon.
The site is mentioned in a number of ancient Irish texts as the entrance of the Otherworld or as the Aí of Cruachan. In mythology the cave is home to the Goddess Morrigan, (battle, strife, fertility) a triple goddess who appears in different tales from Irish pre-history.
The cave is a natural fissure or split in the earth, which formed over time. There are a number of these features in the area, however Oweynagat stands out. The modern entrance to the cave was constructed sometime after the 9th Century. This can be date from the souterrain (man-made underground passage) located at the entrance to the cave. This passage is quite short and located within an earthwork, which may be a barrow (burial site).
The souterrain utilises the natural cave walls as it descends into the cave proper, where a clear effort has been made to create a door by blocking up the natural cave entrance leaving a small gap. It is unknown when the site was first used, but the location of a Druid school nearby and evidence of Neolithic huts and burials in the area suggest that it was known from this time.
Today the site is accessed by a small local road (dead end). It is best to contact the Rathcroghan Visitors Centre for access as the cave is on private land. Access is through as small gate and the cave is located along the roadside under a small ditch. A small gap allows access to the passage where one can view the Ogham stone in the roof of the cave that reads Fraic son of Medb, which may relate to Queen Medb or a tribe dedicated to her. The passage turns to the left where you crawl for a short distance before reaching steps where one can enter the cave.
The cave is naturally dark and torches and old clothes are advisable when visiting. The inside of the can is 8m high with a narrowing to the rear.
Just as empires rise and fall so do entry fees and opening hours! While we work as hard as we can to ensure the information provided here about Oweynagat is as accurate as possible, the changing nature of certain elements mean we can't absolutely guarantee that these details won't become a thing of the past. If you know of any information on this page that needs updating you can add a comment above or now.
contact details
Address: Rathcroghan Visitors Centre, @ Cruachan Aí Tulsk, Co. Roscommon, Ir
Phone: 353 (0)71 9639268
E-Mail: info@rathcroghan.ie
useful information
Directions:
1. Come to Ireland;
2. Find Roscommon;
3. Where the N5 Dublin to Westport Rd intersects N61 Roscommon to Boyle Rd
Ticket Information:
Access is by guided tour only - Contact Rathcroghan Visitors Centre @ Cruachan Aí
Tulsk Co. Roscommon. Price €20 (Min price - Covers Group of Four); 5 extra member (discounts available)
Links:
http://www.rathcroghan.ie/
Historvius is not responsible for the content of external sites.
UPLOAD HISTORIC SITE
?Oweynagat is ruled by
Emperor : Gary Dempsey
King : JamesByrne
Princess : Lora Moore
Duke : -
Lord : -
USER COMMENTS
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26 Aug, 2012
Gary could you point me in the direction of the trad for it? Lit. Archaeology, folklore anything? Id be ablosutely amazed if the toponoymy that reflected that was anything but modern.
20 Jun, 2012
Hi James - While there is a modern Druid School near Castlerea, Rathcroghan has been a place of religious significance for over 4000 years possibly more. There is tradition of a Druids School in Rathcroghan located south-west of the cave and also a townland to the north-west known as Mound Druid, which was home to the one of the O'Conor Family.
02 Jun, 2012
Great to see this heritage site getting a mention! I had no idea about that ogham stone. Well done Hisorvius! I am fairly certain that druid school nearby was set up only a few years ago tho lol
02 Jun, 2012
Metrichal Dindshenchas, 49: "The horrid Morrigan out of the cave of Cruachu, her fit abode, came upon her slumbering: alas, the combat on the hill! The owner of kine chanted over her, with fierceness unabating, toward huge Sliab Bodbgna every spell of power: she was full of guile. The forceful woman melted away toward Segais in a sleepy stream, like a pool void of lustre: she lost her victorious powers. Odras is the sweet-sounding noble name of the sluggish pallid streamlet: it passed from the lady—luckless visitant—to the river Odras."