The Story of an Irish Sept “Origins” (Chapter 1)
A Story of An Irish Sept: Their Character and Struggle to Maintain Their Lands, by Nottige C. Macnamara (a member of the Sept), 1896. Part I: Origins In chapter 1…
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Irish Pubs
Travel anywhere in the world and you're bound to find one. The Irish Pub is a landmark of every city and always a good place to find craic agus ceoil as all who flock there go for good company, a friendly atmosphere, music, and a decent pint. But here are 10 things you probably do not know about Irish pubs from the book Have Ye No Homes To Go To? The History of the Irish Pub, by Kevin Martin.
The White Cat and the Monk – Pangur Bán, a 9th C. Old Irish Poem
Background Pangur Bán or “White Pangur” is an anonymous poem written in Old Irish around the 9th century originating, it is presumed, from the Abbey of Reichenau; a Benedictine Monastery…
We Are Strangers At Home! We Are Exiles in Erin!
A poem composed in 1580 served as a prophetic warning, a cry of despair and for Irish unity upon seeing the desecration of the Irish woodland even in the early times of the 'New English'.
Not all colors in Ireland are Green: An Exploration of the Descriptions for Color in the Old Irish texts
It's said by some that Homer described his sea as 'wine dark' because the Greeks had no word for blue. While the scholars are still debating that issue, studies on…
A Man is Better Than His Birth – Is Ferr Fer a Chiniud
The Brehon ideal holds that no individual should be hindered or restricted, in any way whatsoever, in his or her personal and individual development merely because of the circumstances birth.
The Vatican, the Crown, and the Demise of the Brehon Law
An in-depth look at the main factors and influences that led to the ultimate demise of the Brehon Laws of early Ireland. In modern times, we often consider the conflict…
Ancient Irish Anarchy and a Culture of Peace
Here's a fresh new interview I gave on Luke Tatum's Culture of Peace Podcast where we discuss early Irish society with an anarchic twist. There's a lot of info packed into…
The Wrens of the Curragh
The Wrens of the Curragh were an outcast community of 19th-century Irish women who lived rough, brutally hard lives on the plains of Kildare. The name comes from the shelters…
The Case of Tanistry
First of all, what is "tanistry"? You may be aware that today Ireland uses old Irish titles for leaders of government. For example, the prime minister is referred to as…