Awww, she's Dead? How?!
In her later years, Maeve often went to bathe in a pool on Inchcleraun (Inis Cloithreann), an island on Lough Ree, near Knockcroghery in County Roscommon. Furbaide, who's mother she had killed, sought revenge, and set about planning her demise. He was quite dedicated about it. But we suppose it's the type of thing that you'd really want to get right.
First, he took a rope and measured the distance between the pool and the shore, and practiced with his sling until he could hit an apple on top of a stake Maeve's height, from that distance. The next time he saw Medb bathing he put his practice to good use and killed her with a piece of cheese. Yes chees. Queen Maeve was killed by cheese. Her son, Maine Athramail (he who was originally Cairbre, and most 'like his mother', ascended to the throne of Connacht in her place.
But buried in Sligo, right?
Well, not exactly. Maybe. 'Maeve's Cairn' in Co. Sligo, is the best known burial site of Queen Maeve, but it is one of three possible sites. According to some legends, she is indeed buried in the 40ft (12m) high stone cairn on the summit of Knocknarea (Cnoc na Rí in Irish, Hill of the King/Queen) in County Sligo. The story goes that she is buried upright, facing her enemies in Ulster.
In Bronze or Iron Age burials though, it would be common enough to hack an important dead person apart and bury bits of them along different boundaries, for protection and guardianship. Another story goes that she is buried in the hill of Knockma (Cnoc Medb in Irish, Hill of Maeve), near Belclare in Co. Galway, which is also where Fionnbharr, King of the Connacht Sidhe, holds court. The Fairy connection is an interesting one, and maybe related to her later associations with Mab, the Fairy Queen? The boundary theory holds here too though, as the views from the top of Knockma are spectacular. Very convenient for a guardianship position, we'd say.
Her home in Rathcroghan, County Roscommon is the third, and most likely burial site, with a long low slab named Misgaun Medb being given as the probable location. In the 'she got chopped up in bitty bits and buried' theory, this is where her soul (most likely to be contained in her head, according to thinking of the time) would be. Or possibly her heart. Whatever was deemed the most important part would have stayed at home, with other bits spreading out at lesser sites along the boundaries.
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Our Lead Copywriter Lora O'Brien is an Irish Business Journalist and Published Author, dedicated to providing business copy writing that makes you money! Categories
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