Iron Age IrelandThe arrival of the Celts

Harder than Bronze… … but unlike stone can be repaired if broken Easily spotted – Iron rusts (turns red) so rocks with iron in

them will be a red colour Iron was used in Ireland by the Celts

Why bother using Iron?

Most famous of the early inhabitants of Ireland and Britain Many Irish legends are about Celtic warriors – e.g. Cu

Chulainn, Fionn Mac Cuamhail

The Celts

Cu Chulainn

The Celts – where Glasgow Celtic get their name

Where the Celts came from

Celtic influence in our Graveyards

Celtic Cross

The celts lived in large groups called tuaths Each tuath had it’s own king, called a Rí, who was the

leader of a royal family, called a Derbfine

The Celts and How they lived

A Celtic Rí

What was the proper name for a Celtic king? A Rí What was a royal family called in Celtic times? A Derbfine

Quick Quiz

Celtic Warriors

This was a special group of men of the tuath who were very learned and wise◦ Judges – upheld the law◦ Doctors – treated diseases◦ Druids – the priests of the Celtic Religion ◦ File – a person who wrote poetry◦ Bard – a person who read out poems, or an actor◦Musician

The Aos Dána – the “Learned Men”

A Druid

◦ File◦ – a person who wrote poetry◦ Druids◦ – the priests of the Celtic Religion ◦ Bard ◦ – a person who read out poems, or an actor

Quick Quiz

The Craftsmen – The Ironsmith – page 53

The Craftsmen – The Goldsmith

The Craftsmen – The Stone Mason

The Craftsmen – the Carpenters

St. Patrick – kept as a slave by the Celts

File Celtic Royal Family Bard A Celtic Slave Druid Makes jewellery Cú Chulainn A writer of Celtic poetry St. Patrick A Celtic King Goldsmith A Celtic Priest Rí A Celtic Warrior Derbfine A reader of Celtic

poems

Matchup Exercise – take down into your copy and match up the words! One has been done for you

Because the Celts were very warlike many Celtic homes were built to protect against attack

Three main types of Celtic Homestead:◦ Raths/Ring Forts/Cashels – built on flat land◦ Crannógs – built in lakes◦ Hill Forts – built on hills

Celtic Homesteads

Raths/Ring Forts/Cashels

Built on land – in a circular shape. NOT on water. 2-3 houses inside, surrounded by an earth ditch topped with

stakes Built to keep out wild animals as well as attacking people! Examples found all over the Irish countryside Sometimes have a tunnel called a souterrain Rath made of stone - Cashel

Raths/Ring Forts/Cashels

Raths/Ring Forts/Cashels today

Crannogs – man made “island forts”

Built on an artificial island in the middle of a lake or river to protect against attack

Two examples in Ballyalla lake, just outside Ennis.

Crannogs

Hill Forts

Hill forts today – the Hill of Tara

Celtic people made their own clothes Men and women dressed in heavy cloaks Rich men wore Kilts – Poor men wore trousers

Daily Life in Celtic Ireland – P57

Cattle (cows) were a source of wealth in Celtic times The more cows you had = the richer you were! Ate Beef and the meat of animals they hunted Cooked meat on spits or in big Cauldrons

Cooking in Celtic Ireland – P 57

A Cauldron in a museum

Cooking on a “spit”

Today most religions have just one God. Celts had many gods in their religion, such as:◦ Lug, the god of War◦ The Dagda, the god of the afterlife (like heaven)◦ Brigid◦ Boann (a goddess who gave her name to the river Boyne in Co. Meath)

Celtic Religions

Lug, God of War

Celts believed that the spirits of their Gods were to be found in trees, streams and wells

Druids were the priests of the Celtic religion Tir Na nÓg was the Celtic version of heaven, where the dead

became young and lived forever

Celtic Religions – the Druids

Ogham Stones

Ogham alphabet

The C____ came to Ireland in the I___ age. Greek and R____ writers are important sources of information on them. The C____ lived in large groups called T____ which was led by a king called a R_. They lived in round forts called R____ (if built on land) or C________ if built on water. They often ate food cooked in large C________ or on a S___. They believed in many Gods such as L__, the God of War and the D____ who was the God of the afterlife. S________ was a festival held on the first of November. Priests known as D______ were important and used m_______ as a sacred plant. The C____ often used a special form of writing called O____ which can be seen on standing stones today,

Fill in the blanks