In Search of Ancient Ireland: The Origins of the Irish from Neolithic Times to the Coming of the English FROM THE PUBLISHER
This engaging book traces the history, archaeology, and legends of ancient Ireland from 9000 B.C., when nomadic hunter-gatherers appeared in Ireland at the end of the last Ice Age-to 1167 A.D., when an Anglo-Norman invasion brought the country under control of the English crown for the first time.
So much of what people today accept as ancient Irish history-Celtic invaders from Europe turning Ireland into a Celtic nation; St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland and converting its people to Christianity-is myth and legend with little basis in reality.
The truth is more interesting. The Irish, as the authors show, are not even Celtic in an archaeological sense. And there were plenty of bishops in Ireland before a British missionary called Patrick arrived. But In Search of Ancient Ireland is not simply the story of events from long ago. Across Ireland today are ancient sites and folk customs that provide tangible links to events thousands of years past. The authors visit and describe many of these places, talking to a wide variety of historians, archeologists and language
scholars, in the very settings where history happened. Thus the book is also a journey on the ground to uncover ten thousand years of Irish identity. It is all here, from the Celtic culture to the rise of the uniquely Irish Christian spirituality to the final chapter which deals with the complex events that lead to the English invasion of the island.
In Search of Ancient Ireland is the official companion to the PBS series of the same name.
SYNOPSIS
This is a paperbound reprint of a 2002 book published by New Amsterdam Books as a companion to a three-part Public Broadcasting series in which the authors tour monasteries, sacred caves, and ring forts accompanied by scholars, poets, storytellers, and archaeologists. McCaffrey (Irish history, culture, and language, Johns Hopkins U.) and Eaton, a television and film producer, focus on research that has begun to contradict long-held beliefs and shed light on such intriguing questions as how Ireland developed a Celtic culture and language although there is little archaeological evidence for the presence of Celts in the area. Given the book's television connection, it's surprising that only a few b&w photos support the text. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Irish Connections
The excellent...new book...journeys across the centuries to...uncover the real story behind the island nation's rich global legacy.
Terry Golway - New York Observer
Your search for the roots of Irish history and culture begins here, with this marvelous book.
Lawrence J. McCafferey
Well-written...informative...new and fascinating material challenging many myths. (Lawrence J. McCafferey, Emeritus Professor Of History, Loyola University Of Chicago)
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
...A clearly recommended.... Provides an important gateway to understanding early Irish roots. — THE BOOKWATCH
As much as can be excavated or deduced of ancient history is superbly featured with a wealth of fine detail in this fascinating and highly readable resource. — LIBRARY BOOKWATCH
In bite-sized morsels that accommodate the busy lives of modern readers Search tells us about both the major figures central to momentous events and the daily lives of commoners. — RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
This is not a typical scholarly examination of ancient Ireland. Ms. McCaffrey, accompanied by experts from the various periods, takes the reader on a journey through the Island visiting many of the most important historical sites. And much is to be learned as the most current research is shared. However, the most appealing aspect of the work is McCaffrey's beautifully descriptive reports from the places visited; she incorporates easy to understand discussion into vivid prose that seems to rise from the page & take hold of the reader. Highlights include Patrick's first wanderings & the beginnings of Christianity in the 5th century; life in the monasteries as monks build communities while diligently reproducing & preserving the great illuminated manuscripts--the visits to Clonmacnoise & Skelligmichael are particularly engaging; the Viking raids, which have never before been told with so much realism--the logistics of these sea & inlet manouvers left me with a new understanding of the terror inflicted on the native Irish, as well the way these raiders eventually came to shape Irish identity. Much of that period reads like a well crafted novel. If you want to become well versed in Irish history from the very beginning to 1171, this is your book. Highest rating. (When's the sequel?)
— Peter Fitzgerald
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