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…
irish history
The Story of Dublin in less than 2 pages
I came across an image I had saved on my phone from some time ago that tells a very concise yet still interesting "Story of Dublin" that I thought readers…
Mná na hÉireann | Women of Ireland in History and Mythology
Were the rights of women really so good in ancient Ireland? You will hear this fact repeated often, but is it true? With a bit of research we find the…
Ancient Irish Anarchy: Kevin Flanagan Coombes @ ESFL Conference, Prague 2016
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…
34 Irish Names from Ancient Myth and History
ÁED m Ancient Irish, Irish Mythology Older form of AODH. ÁEDÁN m Ancient Irish, Irish Mythology Older form of AODHÁN. This was the name of a 6th-century king of the…
Brehon Law on Uisneach Hill
In this video, I discuss Ireland's ancient Brehon Laws on the Hill of Uisneach, Westmeath, as a guest speaker at the Uisneach Fire Festival 2015 (uisneach.ie). 'Brehon Law' refers to…
Irish Manuscripts: Bretha Nemed –The Judgements of the Privileged Classes
The significance of status in early Irish society cannot be over-emphasised. Several important texts outline the intricate classifications which were based primarily on hereditary rights, kin-ship, property ownership, and, in…
The Names of Ireland: Scotia
On the various names given to the land known as Ireland. IX. Its Ninth Appellation it receiv'd likewise from the Sons of Milesius, who nam'd it Scotia, from their Mothers…