Location: Located in western Europe, Ireland is the second largest of the British Isles. The island is divided into two major political units-Northern Ireland which is joined with Great Britain in the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. Of the 32 counties of Ireland, 26 lie in the Republic, and of the four historic provinces, three and part of the fourth are in the Republic.
Language: Their culture was based on a unified language which is the ancestor of the Old Irish language. This unified language, along with their iron swords, helped them make a distinct place for themselves in building the culture of Ireland. "It is argued that the Celts in Ireland became Irish by the fifth century C.E. and that the development of the Ogam alphabet contributed to the cementing of this cultural identification" (www.ancientireland.com), and it is that cultural identification that allowed them to retain their culture when the Vikings and later the Normans tried to conquer them.
History: The written history of the Ancient Irish is full of magic and religion, peace and war, conquerors and rebellions. The earliest record of people on Ireland is the mythical Tuatha De Danann. Whether this superior race existed in truth or is merely a legend is part of an ongoing debate. After the Tuatha De Danann came the Celtic people, invaders from Europe that shaped and molded the character of the Irish with their language and customs.
The Celts arrived in Ireland around 400 B.C. They were tall with fair hair; they used iron swords, and were farmers and herders. They came from the Rhine River valley and around the Danube. When the Celts settled and combined with the native people of the isle they created 150 small communities called Tuatha. A king, a ri tuaithe, was the ruler of each tuatha. Sometimes an over-king was named over several tuatha. The Celts had a distinct culture before coming to the isle.
Christianity came to Ireland in 431 when Palladius, the first bishop of Ireland, was sent by the Pope. One of the most celebrated and well-known figures in Irish history is St. Patrick. He was born in Britain to a wealthy official. At the age of 16 he was sold to Irish slavers. After escaping, he went to France and became a bishop. He then made it his life's work to convert Ireland to Christianity. He was very successful. Along with other saints including St. Edna, St. Finnian, St. Columba, St. Brendan, St. Brigid, St. Comgall, St. Finbarr, and St. Ciaran, he melded the Christian religion with the Pagan religion in Ireland and created a blend that still exists today. The monasteries built by the Saints and other monks saved the culture and arts of the past during the Dark Ages in Europe because the Roman Empire had not stretched to embrace Ireland completely.
In 795, the first raiding party of Vikings arrived on Ireland's shores. At first they came in small groups, with a larger second wave arriving in 914. At first the Irish weren't able to defend themselves but then they put up stronger resistance in the mid-800's. The Vikings eventually settled and were assimilated into the Irish culture, adding their own flavor to the eclectic blend of beliefs and practices that define the Irish culture.
In 1169, the Normans, descendents of the Vikings, arrived in Ireland. "By 1300, the Normans controlled most of the country. But they did not succeed in conquering Ireland as they had conquered England" (www.emeraldgolf.com). In 1350 the Irish regained their land from the Normans and many Norman people assimilated with the Irish. The Irish, as a people, are a complicated mix of races, beliefs, and religious practices.
Daily Life: The Ancient people of Ireland lived a mainly pastoral existence. They farmed the land and herded cattle. They lived in circular, wood houses with thatched roofs. They whitewashed the outside of their homes with lime. Inside they had relatively modern eating implements such as "knives, cups, jugs, drinking horns, methers" (www.ireland.org ), and sometimes napkins. They ate "wheat meal, oat meal, eggs, meat, milk and honey, with some vegetables and few fruits" (www.ireland.org). Candles were used for light, and upper class houses had bathing basins.
Ladies had mirrors and wore cosmetics. Men and women both wore elaborate hairstyles and the upper class wore very ornamental clothing. One of the most famous arts to come out of Ireland is the unsurpassed genius of their metalworking. In the National Museum in Dublin many beautiful articles of clothing and jewelry are on display. The jewelry includes "personal adornments, bell-shrines, brooches, bracelets, rings, necklaces, torques, crowns, amulets, earrings, and beads" (www.ireland.org).
The ancient people of Ireland were an eclectic mix of cultures created by invasions, migrations, and assimilations of many different people. One of the most influential groups in Irish history were the Celts who gave the people a central language and a central identity.
References
The Irish. http://www.ancientireland.com/
Marion Mullen and James T. McGuire June 2000: Volume 1 : Issue 3.
Ancient Ireland Teledotcom Inc. http://www.ireland.org/ Web Features
International Ltd., Dublin Last Updated: 05/03/00. http://www.emeraldgolf.com/music/history/ancient.html
Jessica Steffen