Rathcroghan (Ráth Cruachan)

The ancient royal capital of Connacht and the seat of the legendary Queen Medb.

Rathcroghan (Ráth Cruachan) in County Roscommon is one of the great royal sites of ancient Ireland, and the capital of the kings and queens of Connacht. It is forever linked with the legendary Queen Medb, whose cattle raid begins the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge.

The site spreads across a wide plain of mounds and earthworks, and includes Oweynagat, the 'cave of the cats', said to be a gateway to the Otherworld.

At a glance

• The ancient royal capital of Connacht, in Co. Roscommon.
• Associated with the legendary Queen Medb.
• Includes Oweynagat, a cave seen as a gateway to the Otherworld.

In County Roscommon

Rathcroghan is in County Roscommon, Ros Comáin in Irish, which means “St Comán's wood”.

More in Roscommon

• Lough Key (Loch Cé): A wooded lake of islands, castles and a forest park.
• Boyle Abbey (Mainistir na Búille): A remarkably complete Cistercian abbey in the town of Boyle.

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 Rathcroghan is Ráth Cruachan. 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.