Temair (Tara): Ceremonial kingship site in Mide, tied to the idea of high kingship and the older sacred landscape.
Ard Macha (Armagh): Major northern church, monastic school, and Patrician power center; an obvious source of relics, scribes, and church politics.
Cluain Mhic Nóis (Clonmacnoise): Great monastery on the Shannon where a major road crossed the river; useful for learning, craft, trade, pilgrimage, and royal burial ties.
Cill Dara (Kildare): Brigid's great church and monastery, important for religion, learning, craft, and feminine spiritual authority.
Gleann Dá Loch (Glendalough): Wicklow monastic valley founded by Kevin; remote enough for hermits, relics, and hidden approaches through rough country.
Caiseal (Cashel): Royal center of Munster, later famous as the Rock of Cashel; useful for southern kingship and Eóganacht politics.
Cruachain / Rathcroghan: Connacht royal and mythic landscape, associated with Medb and deep older stories.
Bangor: Important monastic center on the northeast coast, useful for sea-borne contact with Britain and the Hebrides.
Áth Cliath / Duiblinn (future Dublin): Around 800, not yet the major Norse town; useful as a ford, pool, and later longphort site after Scandinavian activity intensifies.
Linn Duachaill: Future longphort site on the east coast, paired in later records with Dublin; useful as a potential raider camp or abandoned opportunity.