The IrishA brief history

Celts The Celts are an ethnic group that share a similar culture. There are six Celtic areas left today: Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man,

Wales, Cornwall (part of England) & Brittany (part of France). All of their native languages are making a comeback.

Cornwall, Brittany & Wales are all that’s left, ethnically, of the original Britons before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. Other Celtic groups disappeared

after the fall of Rome as Germanic tribes invaded. Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have, in the past decade, gotten their own parliament rather than just the UK parliament.

Celtic Maps

Celts before 100 BC

Celts by 400 AD

Celts today

Geography Ireland is slightly larger than West Virginia. It’s located just west of Britain at roughly 53º north. Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current;

mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time.

Ireland is known for its wide expanses of lush, green fields. In fact, its nickname is the Emerald Isle. But there are also large areas of rugged, rocky landscape.

A timeline of major events 600 – 150 BC: Celtic tribes arrive on the island. 432 AD: Patrick, a wealthy Briton, arrives in Ireland, bringing

Christianity. Starting in the 9th century, the Vikings regularly invaded & pillaged

Ireland. They would do this for nearly 200 years. They founded the city of Dublin.

A timeline of major events In 1170, Norman Vikings who had taken control of England

invaded Ireland & made it an English territory. They built many castles to maintain power. At the time, Ireland had many warring clans, each with its own king.

2006 AD: The European Union officially recognizes Irish as a working language. The Irish government begins a 20-year plan to make Ireland a bilingual country where everyone speaks both Irish and English.

Culture From 400 AD, ordinary farming people lived in circular enclosures in

farming groups. These were know as a rath or fort and were surrounded by mounds.

Their clothing was made out of linen and wool. The Romans noted that the Celts were quite particular about bathing

and personal grooming, including their elaborate hairstyles.

Culture

They used soap, washed their clothes, clipped their fingernails & the women wore makeup.

Both men and women wore their hair in multiple elaborate curls and braids, sometimes with gold balls fastened to the end of the hair.

They wore jewelry made of gold, lapis lazuli, amber, & faience.

Religion Today, Ireland is predominantly Roman Catholic, while the country of

Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, is predominantly Protestant. Monasteries formed where Irish scholars studied Latin & Greek as well

as developed the arts of manuscript, metalworking, and sculpture. The isolation of the monasteries helped keep this knowledge alive during the Dark Ages because most people in western Europe could no longer read after Rome fell.

Monks kept church valuables hidden from the Vikings in their monasteries.

St. Patrick

Patrick, from a wealthy family in Britannia, was kidnapped by pirates at 16. He worked as a shepherd for six years. After escaping, he felt God told him to return to Ireland and teach people about Jesus Christ.

He used the Shamrock to teach about the Trinity. He wrote a book called The Confession and in it he tells about his life

in Ireland.

St. Patrick St. Patrick arrived in Ireland in 432 AD. At that time most of the people

believed in pagan gods. However, many people in Ireland soon changed to Christianity when they heard the gospel that Patrick and others told them. During the time of St. Patrick, Ireland did not have towns or cities. However, little settlements grew up around monasteries and their churches.

Irish monks

Irish monks often travelled to other countries to spread the gospel. In 563 AD a famous Irish monk called St. Columba travelled to Scotland to teach people about Jesus Christ.

These crosses are known as High Crosses. The drawings on them helped the monks to teach people about the gospel. The drawings were useful as the people could not read, but they could understand the pictures.

Irish artwork A lot of Irish art had to do with Christian symbols. Monks made

elaborate book covers, especially for Bibles, and many ornate crosses were carved out of stone.

Middle age Ireland combined Irish, Mediterranean & German ideas into their art.

The Book of Kells was the four gospels written in Latin & decorated with Irish art.

Economy

Agricultural Products: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products. Cattle was their main form of wealth.

Natural Resources: natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite

Language Today in Ireland, or Éire, English is the common language, but Irish,

Gaelic, is also an official language and is taught in schools. Ireland is a nation of storytellers. The tradition dates back to Celtic

bards, who would record and recite the country's history. Irish words: bog, galore, Limerick, shamrock, slogan, whiskey. Dia duit. Is é mo ainm (Hello, my name is

) Is é an tUasal Wagoner mo múinteoir is fearr leat. (Mr.

Wagoner is my favorite teacher)

Language Common Irish first names: Ryan, Aidan, Collin, Arthur, Connor,

Dylan, Owen, Patrick, & Sean Common Irish surnames: Murphy, Kelly, O’Sullivan, O’Brian,

Callaghan, MacCormack, Flanagan, O’Hara, & O’Reilly. Most Irish names began with O (which meant 'from the family

of') and Mac (which meant 'son of').

Did you know?

Did you know that there are no wild snakes in Ireland? The sea has stopped many animals common on mainland Europe from reaching the island. There are also only two wild mouse species, one type of lizard, and just three kinds of amphibians.

Irish musicians played the harp, fiddle & penny whistle. Irish is just one type of Celtic music. A lot of their songs were about their history.

The Irish army was mostly lightly armed foot soldiers. They fought with a long sword, dagger, bow & javelin. They usually didn’t wear armor. Their only protection was usually a small shield.

They later adopted Anglo-Saxon & Viking military styles.

Iceland

When the Vikings invaded Ireland, they took many women as their slaves. Some of these Vikings moved to Iceland. The ancestors of the Viking men & Irish women are the people of Iceland today.

The IrishA brief history

Celts The Celts are an group that share a culture. There are Celtic areas left today: , , the Isle of , ,

(part of England) & (part of France). All of their native are making a comeback.

Cornwall, Brittany & Wales are all that’s , ethnically, of the Britons before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. Other Celtic groups after the of Rome as tribes .

Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have, in the past , gotten their own rather than just the UK parliament.

Celtic Maps

Celts before BC Celts by AD

Celts

Geography Ireland is slightly larger than . It’s located just west of at roughly º north. Climate: maritime; modified by North Atlantic ; winters, summers; consistently humid; overcast about the

time. Ireland is known for its wide expanses of lush, fields. In fact, its

nickname is the Isle. But there are also large areas of rugged, landscape.

A timeline of major events 600 – 150 BC: Celtic tribes on the island. AD: , a wealthy

, arrives in Ireland, bringing Christianity. Starting in the th century, the

regularly invaded & pillaged Ireland. They would do this for nearly years. They founded the city of

.

A timeline of major events In 1170, Vikings who had taken control of

invaded Ireland & made it an English . They built many to maintain power. At the time, Ireland had many warring , each with its own .

2006 AD: The European Union officially recognizes as a working language. The Irish government begins a -year plan to make Ireland a country where everyone speaks both Irish & English.

Culture From 400 AD, ordinary people lived in

circular enclosures in farming . These were know as a rath or fort and were surrounded by

. Their clothing was made out of &

. The noted that the Celts were

quite particular about & personal

, including their elaborate .

Culture

They used , washed their , clipped their

& the women wore .

Both men and women wore their in multiple elaborate curls & , sometimes with gold balls fastened to the end of the hair.

They wore jewelry made of , lapis lazuli, amber, & faience.

Religion Today, Ireland is predominantly , while the country of Northern Ireland,

which is part of the , is predominantly .

formed where Irish scholars studied & as well as developed the arts of manuscript, metalworking, and sculpture. The of the monasteries helped keep this knowledge alive during the Dark Ages because most people in western Europe could no longer after Rome .

Monks kept church valuables from the in their monasteries.

St. Patrick

, from a wealthy family in , was kidnapped by

at . He worked as a for six years. After escaping, he felt

told him to return to Ireland and teach p8eople about Christ.

He used the to teach about the .

He wrote a book called The & in it he tells about

his in Ireland.

St. Patrick St. Patrick arrived in Ireland in AD. At that time

most of the people believed in gods. However, many people in Ireland soon changed to

when they heard the that Patrick & others told them. During the time of St.

Patrick, Ireland did not have or . However, little settlements grew up

around & their .

Irish monks

Irish often to other countries to spread the gospel. In AD a famous Irish monk called St. Columba travelled to to teach people about Jesus .

These crosses are known as Crosses. The drawings on them helped the monks to people about the . The drawings were useful as the people could not , but they could understand the .

Irish artwork A lot of Irish art had to do with

symbols. Monks made elaborate covers, especially for Bibles, and many ornate crosses were carved out of .

Middle age Ireland Irish, Mediterranean & German ideas into their

. The Book of was the

gospels written in & decorated with Irish art.

Economy

Agricultural Products: , barley, , sugar beets, wheat; , dairy products.

was their main source of .

Natural Resources: natural gas, peat, , lead,

, silver, barite, gypsum, , dolomite

Language Today in Ireland, or , English is the common

language, but Irish, is also an language and is taught in .

Ireland is a nation of . The tradition dates back to Celtic bards, who would record and recite the country's

. Irish words: , ,

, , ,

. duit. Is é mo ainm (

, my name is ) Is é an

mo is fearr leat. (Mr. Wagoner is my teacher)

Language Common Irish first names: , , ,

, , , , , & . Common Irish surnames: , Kelly, , O’Brian, , , Flanagan,

O’Hara, & O’Reilly. Most Irish names began with (which meant 'from the of') &

(which meant ‘ of').

Did you know?

Did you know that there are no wild in Ireland? The has stopped many animals common on Europe from reaching the island. There are also only wild mouse species, one type of , & just three kinds of .

Irish musicians played the , & penny . Irish is just type of Celtic music. A lot of their were about their .

The Irish was mostly lightly armed soldiers. They fought with a sword, , bow & javelin. They usually didn’t wear . Their only protection was usually a

small . They later Anglo-Saxon & Viking styles.

Iceland

When the invaded , they took many

as their . Some of these Vikings moved to

. The of the Viking & Irish

are the of Iceland .