How Old Is The World? | The Age of the World (According to the Irish Annals)

OR, A Hypothetical Timeline of Irish History Note – Anno mundi, (Latin: “in the year of the world”), abbreviation A.M, the year dating from the year of creation in Jewish chronology, based on rabbinic calculations.…

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How the Irish Got Their Language | Origins of Gaelic and Ogham

Auraicept na n-Éces, or The Scholars' Primer, is one of the most important and fascinating surviving texts from medieval Ireland. It stands as the earliest known native Irish treatise on grammar, poetics, and the philosophy of language.

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The Last Fili? Osborn Bergin: The Scholar Who Carried the Name of Legend

Osborn Joseph Bergin (1873–1950) was a towering figure in Celtic studies. Read on to learn more about this veritable master of the Irish language, in all its historical forms, a brilliant philologist, an exacting editor of manuscripts, and a dedicated teacher who helped shape the next generation of scholars, including Myles Dillon.

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The Defeat of the Tuatha Dé Danann – How Mere Mortals Destroyed the Old Gods

The Battle of Tailtiu, a pivotal event in Irish mythology, marked the decisive confrontation between the Milesians, the ancestral Gaels, and the Tuatha Dé Danann, the divine race that ruled…

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Exploring Bretha Nemed or the “Judgments of the Privileged”: A Window into Early Irish Legal Tradition

The ancient legal texts of Ireland offer a fascinating glimpse into the minds and societal structures of our ancestors. Among these, the Bretha Nemed ("Judgments of the Privileged") stands out…

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Irish Legal Manuscripts: “Corus Bescna” – Contracts, Marriage, Evidence, and Inheritance Under the Brehon Law

The Corus Bescna, a remarkable text from early medieval Ireland, offers invaluable insights into the legal and social fabric of the time. As the fifth book of the Senchus Mór,…

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From Fragments to a Masterpiece: Exploring the “Corpus Iuris Hibernici” D.A. Binchy’s Pioneering Contribution to Early Irish Law

The Corpus Iuris Hibernici (CIH) is an invaluable collection of medieval Irish legal texts that sheds light on the native legal system of Ireland, known as Brehon Law. This extraordinary…

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Purring Through Irish History: Learn About The History of Cats in Early Irish Society, Legend, and Law

Discover the fascinating world of cats in early Irish society exploring the history of cats in Ireland, the Catslechta legal manuscript, and some early Irish cat names. Learn about the famous Pangur Bán poem and Irish folklore and legends that featured monstrous enchanted wild cats. Discover the Cave of Cats-Oweynagat, an ancient cave in County Roscommon associated with legends of demon cats, and the mysterious Imbas forasna divination technique used by the Druids.

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