As one of Ireland’s most important archaeological sites, the legendary Emain Macha, home of the famous Red Branch Knights and Ulster Cycle of tales is a place where myth and reality meet. The visitor centre, featuring artefacts and audio-visual exhibitions, was opened in 1993, but closed in 2001 due to lack of funds. It reopened in 2005 after the site was bought by Armagh City and District Council. The Centre offers visitors a unique appreciation of the history of the area. You can learn of the mystical and mythical characters of Navan Fort like Cu Chulainn, King Conor McNessa, Queen Mebh and Deirdre of the Sorrows and of course there is that Meeting with the Celts in the Iron Age Dwelling.
According to tradition Navan Fort was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the capital of the Ulaidh. It is believed that Emain Macha was a pagan ceremonial site and was regarded as a sacred space. The Irish name of Navan Fort is Eamhain Mhacha, from the Old Irish: Emain Macha. The second element refers to the goddess Macha, for whom nearby Armagh (Ard Mhacha) is also named and who was reputed to have founded the site in the 7th or 5th century BC. However, the overall meaning of the name is unclear. In mythology, the name Eamhain Mhacha is variously explained as "Macha's twins" (so named because Macha gave birth to twins there after being forced to compete in a chariot-race while pregnant) or "Macha's neck-brooch" (so named because Macha marked out the bounds of the site with her brooch). The Annals of the Four Masters record that it was abandoned after it was burnt by the Three Collas in 331 AD.