For thousands of years prior to its invasion by its neighbours Ireland was under a native set of laws and customs known today as the Brehon Law.
During this time Ireland was ‘stateless’, there was no central authority making laws, issuing decrees or collecting taxes, there were no police force or prisons, and judges did not have the authority to enforce their decisions. But still, at this time, Ireland was seen to be a great centre for advanced learning, the arts, and spirituality, so much so that it earned the title: Insular Sanctorum et Doctorum – the Island of Saints and Scholars; not a bad title for what was in effect ‘anarchy’.
In this presentation Kevin Flanagan will be making the case that Anarchy has been tried, there are historical examples that worked, and there are valuable lessons to be learned from ancient Ireland’s anarchic past.
