Hand of history burden of pseudo-history : touchstone of truth / Tom O'Connor

Previous ed. published as: Turoe and Athenry - ancient capitals of Celtic Ireland, 2003, ed. by Kieran Jordan

Includes bibliographical references and index

This book presents a Celtic Royal complex, unprecedented in Ireland for its size and layout, but similar to Belgic Centres of Power, called oppida by Caesar, in SE England and on the Continent. It was centered on Turoe in Co. Galway, site of the famous Turoe Stone. No one has satisfactorily explained why this finest example of La Tene Celtic stone art in all of Europe was set on the summit of Turoe hill (Cnoc Temhro) in the wilds of the West of Ireland. Here its hitherto unrecognised Celtic Royal Sanctuary trappings at the centre of a vast Belgic-like oppidum defensive system of linear embankments and its surprising connection with the Celtic invasion of Ireland are unfolded. A whole series of sets of linear embankments expanded out from Turoe across Counties Galway, Clare, Mayo, Sligo, NW Roscommon and across the Shannon into Westmeath and Longford, and even further afield. Some of these are recorded in early dindshenchas (history of the famous places) material associated with the names of archaic kings and queens 1