Irish History
-
Irish war chariots: Celtic war machines and symbols of power
Read more: Irish war chariots: Celtic war machines and symbols of powerJust as modern cars show status, Ireland’s Iron-Age chariots were powerful status symbols. Explore their unique design, roles in Celtic society, and the legendary race of the goddess Macha.
-
Irish Celtic Druids: Healers, Judges & Ancient Irish Wisdom
Read more: Irish Celtic Druids: Healers, Judges & Ancient Irish WisdomIrish Celtic druids were ancient Ireland’s elite scholars: priests, judges, and healers who wielded law and lore. This article explores who they were, what roles they played, and why they matter in Irish history and mythology.
-
Etymology of Irish Animal Names: Myth & Language Revealed
Read more: Etymology of Irish Animal Names: Myth & Language RevealedExplore the etymology of Irish animal names—cú, bradán, each—and uncover their mythological, legal, and cultural roots in Celtic Ireland.
-
Nendrum Monastic Site: History, Tidal Mill & Irish Monastic Life
Read more: Nendrum Monastic Site: History, Tidal Mill & Irish Monastic LifeNendrum Monastic Site on Mahee Island is Northern Ireland’s best-preserved early-Christian monastery. Founded c. AD 450 by St Mochaoi, its triple stone cashels, unique 7th-century tidal mill and stunning Strangford Lough views reveal a community where faith met engineering genius. Free to visit year-round, it’s a must-see for Irish history lovers.
-
Ballyaghagan Cashel: Belfast Hills Stone Ringfort Guide
Read more: Ballyaghagan Cashel: Belfast Hills Stone Ringfort GuideBallyaghagan Cashel crowns Cave Hill 275 m above Belfast—a stone ringfort 42 m wide that housed farmers a millennium ago and hides even older flint scatters beneath its walls. Today a short stroll from Upper Hightown Road car park rewards visitors with panoramic views, Iron-Age ambience and a tangible link to the city’s forgotten past.
-
Dunluce Castle: Gaelic Fortress that Shaped Ulster’s Medieval History
Read more: Dunluce Castle: Gaelic Fortress that Shaped Ulster’s Medieval HistoryClinging to the edge of Antrim’s cliffs, Dunluce Castle has witnessed centuries of storm, siege, and legend. Once home to earls and warriors, its ruins now tell quieter tales — of ambition, collapse, and the shifting tides of Irish history.
-
Corrstown Bronze Age Village: Ireland’s Largest Settlement
Read more: Corrstown Bronze Age Village: Ireland’s Largest SettlementCorrstown, just outside Portrush, stunned archaeologists in 2002 with 74 roundhouses linked by cobbled lanes—one of the largest Middle-Bronze Age villages uncovered in Britain or Ireland. Radiocarbon dates of c. 1700-1200 BC, 16,500 flint pieces and 9,000 pottery sherds now illuminate daily life on the Atlantic fringe.
-
Ancient Irish Society: Language, Law & the Structures of Kinship
Read more: Ancient Irish Society: Language, Law & the Structures of KinshipHow was ancient Irish society structured before the Norman invasion? This post explores the túath (tribe), fine (kin-group), kingship, and the role of Brehon law in shaping daily life. Drawing on linguistic roots and the latest research in archaeology and history, it offers a clear and accessible overview of Ireland’s Iron Age social fabric.
-
Ogham Tree Alphabet: Irish Script, Meaning & Origins
Read more: Ogham Tree Alphabet: Irish Script, Meaning & OriginsThe Ogham alphabet—20 sharp strokes named after trees—records Ireland’s oldest written words. Carved on stone pillars from Kerry to Pembrokeshire, this 5th-century script holds clan names, boundary claims and a hint of druid lore. Decode its notches, track new finds and see how Ogham still inspires tattoos and typefaces today.
-
The Rock of Cashel: History, Kingship and the Sacred Heart of Medieval Munster
Read more: The Rock of Cashel: History, Kingship and the Sacred Heart of Medieval MunsterPerched above Tipperary’s Golden Vale, the Rock of Cashel (Carraig Phádraig) rose from a royal hill-fort to a 12th-century ecclesiastical powerhouse. But its ancient roots claim to go back much further into Iron Age Ireland. Here we explore the evidence.
Latest news
- Barrows of Ireland: Mapping Ireland’s Prehistoric Burial Mounds
- Fomorians in Irish Mythology: Giants of Chaos and the Sea
- Abhartach in Irish Mythology: The Blood-Drinking Undead Dwarf
- Bullaun Stones of Ireland: Mapping the Sacred Basins
- Aos Sí in Irish Mythology: Origins, Folklore & Legacy
Categories
- Book Reviews (5)
- Early Irish Christianity (7)
- Fiction (2)
- Historical Sites (19)
- Irish gods (9)
- Irish History (34)
- Irish language (6)
- Irish Mythology (23)
- Mythical Creatures (6)