Queen Maeve's Cairn at Knocknarea — Where Fairies Guard the Ancient Dead

Knocknarea, a prominent flat-topped limestone mountain rising above Strandhill in County Sligo, is crowned by Miosgán Méadhbha — Queen Maeve's Cairn — one of the largest and most impressive unopened megalithic cairns in Europe. Standing approximately 10 meters high and 55 meters in diameter, the cairn is traditionally believed to be the burial place of Queen Medb (Maeve) of Connacht, a figure from Irish mythology's Ulster Cycle. The entire mountain is steeped in fairy lore. Local tradition holds that the cairn and surrounding landscape are guarded by the Sídhe, and removing even a single stone will bring terrible misfortune. Climbers are instead encouraged to carry a stone to the summit and add it to the cairn. The landscape surrounding Knocknarea is remarkably rich in Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments, including the passage tomb complex at Carrowmore — one of the oldest cemeteries in Europe. The fairy traditions associated with Knocknarea are believed to represent an unbroken chain of veneration stretching back five thousand years or more.