Irish Mythology

Celtic Origins and Mythology

Discover the beautiful and mystical legends of Celtic Mythology from stories carried down through the ages from our ancient Celtic ancestors and bards (story tellers). Our legends were not formally recorded until the twelfth century AD by monastical scholars (who included Christian influences to the pagan legends). Many of our famous ancient Gods and Goddesses now live in the ‘Otherworld’ hidden from mortal eyes. The Otherworld now belongs to the fairy people who rule from this enchanted place where no-one knows but for sure it is in both on Irish soil and the surrounding seas and islands and can be as far as you can see to as close to you from where you are standing at this moment…

Irish History	Dates	Celtic Mythology
Earliest settlers in Ireland, mainly Mesolithic hunters. Stone Ages.	8,000 BC
	3500	(Noah’s Ark built)
Neolithic settlers, mainly farmers.	3200 BC (approx)
The building of New Grange.	3000 BC	MYTHOLOGICAL CYCLE BEGINS Cessair & Fintan
	2680	Partholon (Ruled for 600yrs when they were wiped out by a plague and the Nemedians.) They fought the Formorians (Evil Gods of the Sea) and temporarily drove them out of Ireland.)
Bronze Age in Ireland.	2,600 BC	(The building of the Pyramids in Egypt.)
	2379	9000 Partholonians die of the plague.
	2350	Nemedians
	1933	Firbolgs
	1887 BC	Tuatha de Dannan
	1869	Tuatha de Dannan defeat the Formorians.
	1699	Melesians/Gaels defeat the Tuatha Dé Danaan.
	1500 BC	(The finishing of the building of Stonehenge completing approx 1,000 years work)
The Celts arrive in Ireland. Iron Age.	500 BC	CELTS
	431 BC	CELTS HISTORICAL CYCLE BEGINS
	1 AD	CELTS (THE ULSTER CYCLE – (Red Branch Cycle - Heroic age - CúChulainn) Year = 0 (Birth of Christ) Táin Bó Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley)
St Patrick converts Ireland to Christianity.	432	CELTS (THE FENIAN CYCLE – (Defenders of Ireland Finn mac Cumhail, Oisín and the Fianna)
Vikings invade Ireland.	794	CELTS/Vikings
The Book of Kells.	800	CELTS/Vikings
Dublin City – Vikings build the now capital city of Ireland.	841	CELTS/Vikings
Brian Boru – The Emperor /High King of Ireland.	1014	CELTS/Vikings 4 HISTORICAL CYCLE ENDS
The Normans come to Ireland.	1166
King Henry 11 of England conquered Ireland.	1171
England rules Ireland.	1171- 1922
After the 1916 revolution England agrees to return Ireland to Irish Rule, except for 6 counties in Ulster.	1922 -
Irish Republic Economy is the fastest growing in the world. Ireland gets the nickname “The Celtic Tiger”.	1990’s
Hopefully agreement between the North of Ireland and England to rule Northern Ireland jointly and peacefully. Each and every day the history of Ireland continues. It is people and events that make our history. For those of you who are joining us from overseas: *Céad Míle Fáilte*! (A hundred thousand welcomes!)	2000+