Tara and the Curse The decline of the site as a cult centre is probably reflected in the episode in the Life of St Rúadán of Lorrha [521AD-584AD Co. Tipperary] descendant of a Royal Druidic family of Munster. During his years as a zealot Christian he was appointed as a Bishop as were all the sons of Druid Chieftains at the time under Patrick and to make up for his pagan ancestors in a fit of assigned contrition in which he cursed Tara and its high king, Diarmait mac Cerbaill in order to transfer the "seat of power" from Tara to his recently constructed Monastery nearby (Plummer 1910 (II), 245-9; 1922 (I), 88-90). The legend as to Tara's fate and its halls and monuments as having been deserted after the "curse" after 564AD is of comparative late origin to serve an ecclesiastical purpose for conversion and suppression of the local Celtic population. This is easily contradicted by a Druid Feis which continued to be held in and around the "monuments" of Tara until 867AD. St. Ruadhan's hand [read relic of veneration for the pagani] was preserved in a silver shrine at Lorrha until "the great vandalism of the Reformation". The parish church of Lorrah "adjoined" in order t6o make venerable to an ancient Druid oratory [promontory] which may be that of Ruadhan, son of the Druid, now Bishop. So once again we have an arm wrestling match between the Ard Ri Cerbaill and the recent convert to Christianity Ruadhan, our Munster boy, at the Hills of Tara. To this the Republic has added a bulldozer. So then do we accept this "bull"..hell no .. All praise the conquering hero Diamait mac Cerbaill Ard Ri of Tara and all Ireland and their ghosts .. Slan Eric Trinity College Toronto