Kuno Meyer: The German Who Gave Ireland Back Its Voice
Kuno Meyer was born in Hamburg, taught German in Liverpool and died in Leipzig, yet few people did more to put early Irish literature back into Irish hands. Here is…
Bark, Bite, and Brehon Law: Learn About The History of Dogs in Early Irish Society, Legend, and Law
Kill the wrong dog in early medieval Ireland and it could cost you ten cows and a replacement hound. Let your own dog foul a neighbour's land and you might…
The Language of the Woods: Everything You Need to Know About Ogham, Ireland’s Ancient Tree Alphabet
Shrouded in the mists of early medieval Ireland, Ogham remains one of the most enigmatic writing systems of the ancient world. Its slender strokes and notches, cut along the edges…
Brehons, Brahmins, and an Irish Scholar who made an Incredible Connection
Myles Dillon spent fifty years arguing that early Ireland and ancient India shared more than a distant ancestor — this is his story, and his case
What Does Brehon Law Say About the Sea? Muirbretha—Sea Judgements
Muirbretha, the "sea-judgements," is the main surviving Brehon law text on maritime affairs, and it survives only because a handful of scribes thought it worth copying fragments of it into…
Ireland’s Oldest Rule for Kings: Tell the Truth, or Watch the Kingdom Die
Imagine a political idea so old and so serious that a king who told a lie could, in theory, cause the harvest to fail.
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.
The Dialects of Old Irish: A Deep Dive into a Linguistic Mosaic
Did you know that early Ireland boasted a remarkable array of official dialects, each tailored to specific societal roles? And while the modern Irish word "béarla" refers to the English…
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,…
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…