Navan Fort (Emain Macha) (Eamhain Mhacha)

The legendary ancient capital of Ulster, home of the Red Branch Knights and Cú Chulainn's tales.

Navan Fort (Eamhain Mhacha) near Armagh was the great royal site of ancient Ulster: the capital of its kings and the setting of the Ulster Cycle of Irish legend, including the tales of Cú Chulainn and the Red Branch Knights.

Archaeology has revealed an enormous ceremonial structure built and deliberately burned around 95 BC, marking it as one of Ireland's most important ritual sites.

At a glance

• The legendary ancient capital of Ulster, near Armagh.
• The setting of the Ulster Cycle and the tales of Cú Chulainn.
• Site of a huge ceremonial structure from around 95 BC.

In County Armagh

Navan Fort (Emain Macha) is in County Armagh, Ard Mhacha in Irish, which means “Macha's height (the goddess Macha)”.

More in Armagh

• Slieve Gullion (Sliabh gCuillinn): The highest point in County Armagh, ringed by an ancient volcanic landscape.
• Armagh City (Ard Mhacha): Ireland's ancient ecclesiastical capital, seat of St Patrick.

Other places of this kind

• The Cliffs of Moher (Aillte an Mhothair): Sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region.
• Newgrange (Sí an Bhrú): A prehistoric monument in County Meath, older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids.
• The Giant's Causeway (Clochán an Aifir): Around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns on the Antrim coast, a UNESCO site wrapped in the legend of Finn McCool.
• Glendalough (Gleann Dá Loch): A beautiful glacial valley of two lakes, home to one of Ireland's most important early monastic settlements.
• The Rock of Cashel (Carraig Phádraig): A dramatic outcrop crowned with medieval buildings, once the seat of the kings of Munster.
• Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis): A great early monastery on the banks of the Shannon, once a renowned centre of learning.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Navan Fort (Emain Macha) is Eamhain Mhacha. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.