PHASES OF IRISH HISTORY PHASES OF IRISH HISTORY BY EOIN MACNEILL _Professor of Ancient Irish History in the National University of Ireland_ M. H. GILL & SON, LTD. 50 UPPER O'CONNELL STREET, DUBLIN 1920 [Illustration: _Printed and Bound in Ireland by :: :: M. H. Gill & Son, :: :: Ltd. :: :: 50 Upper O'Connell Street :: :: Dublin_] _First Edition_ 1919 _Second Impression_ 1920 CONTENTS PAGE FOREWORD vi I. THE ANCIENT IRISH A CELTIC PEOPLE 1 II. THE CELTIC COLONISATION OF IRELAND AND BRITAIN 31 III. THE PRE-CELTIC INHABITANTS OF IRELAND 61 IV. THE FIVE FIFTHS OF IRELAND 98 V. GREEK AND LATIN WRITERS ON PRE-CHRISTIAN IRELAND 133 VI. INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY AND LETTERS 161 VII. THE IRISH KINGDOM IN SCOTLAND 194 VIII. IRELAND'S GOLDEN AGE 222 IX. THE STRUGGLE WITH THE NORSEMEN 249 X. MEDIEVAL IRISH INSTITUTIONS 274 XI. THE NORMAN CONQUEST 300 XII. THE IRISH RALLY 323 INDEX 357 FOREWORD The twelve chapters in this volume, delivered as lectures before public audiences in Dublin, make no pretence to form a full course of Irish history for any period. Their purpose is to correct and supplement. For the standpoint taken, no apology is necessary. Neither apathy nor antipathy can ever bring out the truth of history. I have been guilty of some inconsistency in my spelling of early Irish names, writing sometimes earlier, sometimes later forms. In the Index, I have endeavoured to remedy this defect. Since these chapters presume the reader's acquaintance with some general presentation of Irish history, they may be read, for the pre-Christian period, with Keating's account, for the Christian period, with any handbook of Irish history in print. EOIN MACNEILL. I. THE ANCIENT IRISH A CELTIC PEOPLE