Navan Fort is Northern Ireland's most important pre-historic monument, the political and spiritual capital of the ancient kings of Ulster. The Navan area also contains three other sites of great archaeological importance; The King's Stables, Haughey's Fort and Loughnashade. During the 1980's proposals for the development of a quarry beside the fort caused world-wide concern. A Public Enquiry led the Minister with responsibility for the Environment, Mr. Richard Needham, to decide that stone extraction should cease. In 1987 the Navan Fort Initiative Group was set up to consider the best future for the monument and its area. A feasibility study concluded inter alia that the development of a visitor and interpretative facility at Navan could make a significant impact on the local economy. Other opportunities included initiation of a long-term archaeological research programme and development of a Centre for Celtic Studies. A Charitable Trust, Navan at Armagh, was set up in 1989 to give effect to the proposals. A project director was appointed in May 1990, funds were secured from The International Fund for Ireland, the European Regional Development Fund and the Northern Ireland Department of Environment. The National Heritage Memorial Fund agreed to support the purchase of land surrounding Navan Fort, encompassing other monuments. The Navan Centre, which tells the archaeological and mythological story of Navan, opened to the public on 1 July 1993, attracting over 50,000 visitors in its first year of operation. Some 35 new jobs have been created, 10 of these being permanent and the remainder seasonal. In time, the number of permanent full-time jobs is expected to double.

In 1994 the building housing the centre won both the Royal Institute of British Architecture and Royal Institute of Irish Architectures awards.

2. NAVAN FORT - THE ARCHAEOLOGY

Navan Fort is Northern Ireland's most important pre- historic monument, the political and spiritual capital of the ancient kings of Ulster. Archaeological excavations at Navan over the last 30 years has affirmed this position. By the Late Bronze Age, a major complex of sites had begun to develop at Navan; roundhouses and compounds at Navan Fort, a ritual pool at the King's Stables and a hill-fort known as Haughey's Fort. The discovery of a barbary ape skull at Navan Fort plus other important objects suggests that it had already become a place of great importance and may well have served as the seat of a local chief during the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age. By the first century BC it seems to have become the capital of the Uluti, the original Ulstermen. The greatest archaeological find at Navan was made during excavations held between 1963 and 1971. About 100 BC the people at Navan cleared away the remains of the round house-compounds to erect an enormous circular structure. It measured about 40 metres across and was built from 275 posts arranged in six concentric rings. At the centre of the structure was a large central post of oak. In order to raise this massive post a ramp 6 metres long was built so that it might be tipped into its pit. What did this structure look like when completed? Today we only have the post holes and the bottom stumps of some of the posts. Was it, for example roofed? Some archaeologists suspect that indeed it was. When we look at the outer ring of posts we note that each post was augmented with another by its side. In addition, if the ramp for the central post was 6 metres long, we might expect that the post could have been twice as long, i.e. about 12 metres. There are many unanswered questions about this structure and Dr. Chris Lynn from the Historic Monuments division of the Environment Service has been trying to speculate on some of the answers. Some of his ideas can be read about in Spring's edition of Archaeology Ireland (attached) or the Summer issue of Current Archaeology.

3. NAVAN FORT - THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE

Approximately three-quarters of a mile west of Navan Fort lies Haughey's Fort, a Late Bronze Age hill-fort, which was built and occupied about 1100 BC. Archaeological investigation in recent years indicate that this settlement is even larger than the Navan rath. Finds during excavation have included a dog skull which is largest known from a prehistoric site and an apple which is interesting in the light of Armagh's claim to be the `Apple County'. Close to Haughey's Fort, and contemporary with it, is the King's Stables. This is the only known prehistoric artificial pool yet known in the British Isles. Finds within the pool indicate that it had a ritual purpose where people deposited offerings to their gods. Immediately downslope from Navan Fort is Loughnashade. Today at less than half a hectare it is only a shadow of its previous size. At the end of the 18th century, men digging drains nearby discovered four great bronze horns which had apparently been deposited in the lake as some form of offering. They were decorated in the traditional Celtic style and probably date to the first century BC. All the evidence points to Loughnashade being a sacred lake; the Celts often deposited precious goods in water as offerings to their gods. That there are four key archaeological sites is indicative of the importance of the area. It also suggests that there may be much more hidden in the surrounding landscape which may be brought out during further archaeological investigation.

4. NAVAN FORT - THE MYTHOLOGY

Navan (as Emain Macha) was also the setting for one of the great Irish mythological series of stories, `The Ulster Cycle'. It is comparable to the Mabinogion or Arthurian Tales in the Welsh and English tradition. It is also ranked by some academics alongside the greatest of classical mythology. These are the stories of Cu Chulainn, Conchobor (Conor) Mac Nessa, Fergus Mac Roech and Deirdre of the Sorrows. In these tales Emain Macha is portrayed as the great capital of Ulster where King Conchobor holds court and feasts his warriors, and where the youth of Ulster organised into the macrad, the boy troop or boys brigade, played their early form of hurling and learned the techniques of warfare. It was where the severed heads of the enemies of Ulster were placed on display. And where poets and druids recounted the glories of Ulster warriors and their ladies. If King Arthur and his early Britons had their Camelot, the Ulstermen had the Knights of the `Red Branch' at Emain Macha. But while the location of Camelot, if it indeed it ever existed, is a topic of eternal scholarly debate, there is little doubt that Emain Macha of Irish literature is to be identified with Navan Fort. The legends associated with Emain Macha include one of the most important of all Irish legends, the `Cattle raid of Cooley' (Tain Bo Cuailnge), which tells how CuChulainn, the Hound of Ulster, single handedly defeated the invading armies of Connaught. These are stories, which may hark back to a Indo-European genesis, told by the Irish storytellers (Seanachie) and written down by the early Christian monks, and from there passing into the literary tradition. Even today CuChulainn has a wide and in some cases dubious significance, from being an icon for extreme loyalist groups, to being the Irish hero captured in verse by WB Yeats in his poem `Statues'.

5. THE NAVAN CENTRE - THE EXHIBITION

The exhibition tells the archaeological and mythological story of Navan (Emain Macha) using the latest of interpretative techniques. The exhibition takes the visitor on a three-part tour which begins with the `Dawning' which explains the background to the Celts, their language and crafts; then you enter the 'Real world' of today which focuses on the archaeology of Navan: looking at the techniques of the archaeologist and how the archaeology of the site was uncovered. From the exhibition area, it is then into a large theatre for the Ulster Cycle of mythological stories and a superb multi-media presentation with sound, three- dimension images, slide and film. Having been submerged in the story of Navan visitors will then be able to walk up to the mound and `feel' the special nature of the place itself.

6. THE NAVAN CENTRE - THE OPPORTUNITIES

Education Nine months prior to the opening of the Centre an education officer was appointed to take the task of developing comprehensive materials for schools. Initially the focus will be on Key Stage 2 but this will be developed in time to include other age groups. One of the key parts of the programme will be involvement in the Education for Mutual Understanding (EMU) initiative. Celtic Studies One of the longer term objectives for the project is to become a centre for Celtic Studies. Archaeological Excavation There is much archaeological work still to be done at the site and in the surrounding area. A plan of further archaeological investigation will be drawn up following the publishing of the Waterman Report next year; Chief archaeologist at Historic Monuments, Dudley Waterman, died before completing his report into his work on the mound between 1963 and 1971. Dr. Chris Lynn is in the final stages of pulling the report together. One of the Navan Trust's objectives is to raise funds to enable further archaeological investigation. It is hoped that the mechanisms for this will be put in place over the next year. Cultural The mythology relating to Navan inspired the greatest of Irish poets WB Yeats. Many other artists and writers have similarly been inspired. The composer Sean O' Riada and the theatrical director Tyrone Guthrie saw Navan as being the one site in Ireland where all peoples in Ireland could be brought together for a great cultural celebration. Sadly they never saw this dream being realised. The Navan Centre has this great cultural heritage to call upon. The development of the Centre Beyond the exhibition itself there a number of potential areas of development. Ideas such as the establishment of an ancient farm, an Iron Age foundry and recreating the ancient landscape, have all been mooted. More immediately it is hoped to develop an archaeological resource centre to enable visitors, whether they are adult or child, to understand better the work of archaeologists. One of the key platforms of development would be in the purchase of the nearby quarry. This archaeologically sterile land would provide the space to develop in a number of directions including the creation of an `arena' for the performing arts. Other ideas expressed include hostels for study groups. It is Navan's hope to purchase 300 acres of the surrounding landscape. Already 60 acres are under the Trust's control.