more powerful. As they grew more and more powerful, so did their leaders and their families, along with the druids and the
filí.
They lived in the biggest and best houses, had the best food and drink served to them by slaves, and wore the best clothes and gold ornaments.
But where there are rich and powerful tribes there are also problems. Other tribes become envious and wish to conqueror their neighbours and take all that power and wealth for themselves. Before the Celts came to Ireland, there was fighting and conquering occurring among the tribes already living here. With the arrival of the Celts, this conquering increased. Communities were forced to protect themselves and this is one reason why they built hill forts and raths and cashels.
Within his fortress, the tribal leader and his people could live in relative safety while protecting their animals and food and property from marauders. From here, the chief could rule over the other tribes around him who were not as powerful as he was. Gradually these chiefs became kings of their areas and eventually five major areas, or kingdoms emerged. These were the four provinces we still know today along with that of Meath. When we now refer to one of the four provinces in Gaelic we use the word
‘cuige’.
Cuig means ‘five’ in Gaelic and refers back to that time when there were five provinces.
Later still, Ireland was divided into seven areas or kingdoms. Each of these kingdoms had its own king. These areas were then divided into smaller areas called tuaths and these, too, had their own king. There was constant warfare between these kings, and sometimes forts were not sufficient to protect one area from another. You remember, there was no money back then, and a king’s wealth was measured in the number of cattle he possessed. So when kings went to war they would also try to steal the other king’s cattle.
When war broke out between Connacht and Ulster, the Ulster people built giant earthworks to separate the two areas. These would have helped to protect them from the attackers, and prevented the attackers from stealing cattle. A section of these earthworks, known as Black Pig’s Dyke, still exists today. The name, according to legend, is associated with a magician who was tricked into becoming a pig, and was then forced to travel around Ireland rooting up the earth into gigantic banks.
Of course, this is just a legend, but as there are many such earthworks around the country, this indicates that there was much warfare. Some kings became very powerful and wished to be High King of all Ireland, or
Ard Rí
in Gaelic. But though many claimed to be High King, in reality there was no one king who ruled all of Ireland at this time.
Still, there were some very powerful kings in Ireland living in magnificent forts. One of the most famous of all these Irish forts was Emain Macha, or Navan fort. It was in Armagh, and was founded either by a Queen Macha, or was called after a goddess of that name. It later became the residence of one of Ireland’s most famous kings, Conor Mac Nessa, who reigned in Ulster about 2,000 years ago. It was at his court that the great hero Cú Chulainn lived. The Red Branch Knights, who were brave warriors, also lived at Navan fort.
The kings of Connacht lived at Rathcroghan, County Roscommon, the kings of Leinster at Dún Ailinne, County Kildare, and the kings of Munster at Cashel, County Tipperary. But the most famous of all Irish forts was the great fort on the hill of Tara, in County Meath. Its origins date back to Stone Age times, when there was a settlement there. One of its most famous kings was Cormac Mac Airt, who was the son of Art and the grandson of a king named Conn, who gave his name to Connacht. During his reign, Cormac Mac Airt made Tara the capital of Ireland. He lived there in a magnificent palace and within the fort was a great banqueting hall, said to be the largest building in all of Ireland.
According to legend, Cormac founded
filí.
They lived in the biggest and best houses, had the best food and drink served to them by slaves, and wore the best clothes and gold ornaments.
But where there are rich and powerful tribes there are also problems. Other tribes become envious and wish to conqueror their neighbours and take all that power and wealth for themselves. Before the Celts came to Ireland, there was fighting and conquering occurring among the tribes already living here. With the arrival of the Celts, this conquering increased. Communities were forced to protect themselves and this is one reason why they built hill forts and raths and cashels.
Within his fortress, the tribal leader and his people could live in relative safety while protecting their animals and food and property from marauders. From here, the chief could rule over the other tribes around him who were not as powerful as he was. Gradually these chiefs became kings of their areas and eventually five major areas, or kingdoms emerged. These were the four provinces we still know today along with that of Meath. When we now refer to one of the four provinces in Gaelic we use the word
‘cuige’.
Cuig means ‘five’ in Gaelic and refers back to that time when there were five provinces.
Later still, Ireland was divided into seven areas or kingdoms. Each of these kingdoms had its own king. These areas were then divided into smaller areas called tuaths and these, too, had their own king. There was constant warfare between these kings, and sometimes forts were not sufficient to protect one area from another. You remember, there was no money back then, and a king’s wealth was measured in the number of cattle he possessed. So when kings went to war they would also try to steal the other king’s cattle.
When war broke out between Connacht and Ulster, the Ulster people built giant earthworks to separate the two areas. These would have helped to protect them from the attackers, and prevented the attackers from stealing cattle. A section of these earthworks, known as Black Pig’s Dyke, still exists today. The name, according to legend, is associated with a magician who was tricked into becoming a pig, and was then forced to travel around Ireland rooting up the earth into gigantic banks.
Of course, this is just a legend, but as there are many such earthworks around the country, this indicates that there was much warfare. Some kings became very powerful and wished to be High King of all Ireland, or
Ard Rí
in Gaelic. But though many claimed to be High King, in reality there was no one king who ruled all of Ireland at this time.
Still, there were some very powerful kings in Ireland living in magnificent forts. One of the most famous of all these Irish forts was Emain Macha, or Navan fort. It was in Armagh, and was founded either by a Queen Macha, or was called after a goddess of that name. It later became the residence of one of Ireland’s most famous kings, Conor Mac Nessa, who reigned in Ulster about 2,000 years ago. It was at his court that the great hero Cú Chulainn lived. The Red Branch Knights, who were brave warriors, also lived at Navan fort.
The kings of Connacht lived at Rathcroghan, County Roscommon, the kings of Leinster at Dún Ailinne, County Kildare, and the kings of Munster at Cashel, County Tipperary. But the most famous of all Irish forts was the great fort on the hill of Tara, in County Meath. Its origins date back to Stone Age times, when there was a settlement there. One of its most famous kings was Cormac Mac Airt, who was the son of Art and the grandson of a king named Conn, who gave his name to Connacht. During his reign, Cormac Mac Airt made Tara the capital of Ireland. He lived there in a magnificent palace and within the fort was a great banqueting hall, said to be the largest building in all of Ireland.
According to legend, Cormac founded
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