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Ancient Ireland |
Britain's close proximity to Europe
invited invasion, but Ireland was comparatively remote and
inaccessible. The earliest archaeological sites date from only 6,000
B.C., suggesting that human occupation did not begin until a
relatively late date. Prior to the seventh century, literary sources
are limited to sagas and poems and it is often difficult to associate
archaeological remains with language groups, but there is little doubt
that there were many connections with northern Britain. Celtic hillforts were scattered
across the hillsides, Gaelic (Celtic) was the common language and the
inhabitants were called Hiberni. 3rd century Latin writers
confirm the Celtic nature of Ireland and make frequent reference to
raids on England. The Irish were then called the Scotti. In the
second half of the 4th century when Roman power in Britain was beginning
to crumble, the raids became incessant and Irish settlements appeared
along the west coast of Britain and extensively in Wales and Scotland.
7th century biographers Tirechan and Muirchu credit St. Patrick with
converting all the Irish to Christianity and won for him the status of
national apostle.
The first appearance of
the Norsemen on the Irish coast is recorded in 795. It was followed by
frequent plundering raids, sometimes far inland. Gradually, without
quite abandoning piracy, the Vikings became traders in close association
with the Irish and their commercial towns became a new element in the
life of the country. The decline of Norse power began in 968 when they
lost Limerick and was completed in 1014 when the Scandinavian allies of
the king of Dublin were defeated by High King Brian Boru at the Battle
of Clontarf. |
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