Ancient History of Ireland, Newgrange, Celts, Vikings


Ireland has a rich and fascinating ancient history; from the great megalithic structures of the Neolithic, like Newgrange, to the spectacular gold jewellery of the Indo-European Bell Beaker folk, the weapon hoards of the Irish Bronze Age, the enigmatic La Tene Celtic art of the Iron Age and the intricate knot-work of the Hiberno-Norse in the Irish Viking age. I look at all of these in this brief account of the history of Ireland, and then I discover a gothic castle called Knockdrinn, in which my ancestors lived, and which local people believe to be haunted. Finally, I read some spooky accounts of the ghostly creatures of the castle taken from the folklore collection at University College Dublin.

Music in order:
Wolcensmen - Sunne (STJ Theme remix)
Sean O’Rourke - The Swallowtail Jig
Sean O’Rourke - Contentment is Wealth
Xuri0us - Steppe Expansion
Storm King -  LOADVR nostalgia21986exp
Cefin Beorn - Hel Wese Thu Weda
Legionarii - Aristocracy
Sjohof - Path to the Temple
Bark Sound Productions - Ixe
Myling- Töcken
Stark von Oben - The Labyrinth
Torulf  - Freja
Aethelruna - Gregorian Chant
Borg - Feast of the Victorious
GRIMRIK - Der astrale Ursprung (Teil I)

Art:
Bronze age irish woman and Celtic warlord by Christian Sloan Hall, Celtic charioteers by Alex Cristi, Manannán by Christopher Steininger, Bronze age map by Dan Kogosov

Sources:
‘Analysis of the Economic Foundations Supporting the Social Supremacy of the Beaker Groups’, Fitzpatrick, Doce, Vazquez, (2016)
http://www.archaeopress.com/Public/download.asp?id={0D06803F-CC8D-48DC-8842-668007DF2505}
‘Bog Bodies – Kingship and Sacrifice’, Eamonn P Kelly (2006)
https://www.academia.edu/3206745/Bog_Bodies_Kingship_and_Sacrifice
Reconstruction of Newgrange by Michael J. O'Kelly
https://www.newgrange.com/michael-j-okelly.htm
‘Black Pool: Hiberno-Norse identity in Viking Age and Early Medieval Ireland’, Anton Amlé, (2014)
https://www.academia.edu/13843949/Black_Pool_Hiberno-Norse_identity_in_Viking_Age_and_Early_Medieval_Ireland
Ghost stories from National Folklore Collection UCD
https://www.ucd.ie/folklore/en/

https://youtu.be/FDbDZ59z7p0