In ancient Ireland there was no need for police, public prosecutors or prisons because the clan regulated wrongdoing through what we would now call a system of restorative justice. That is, it aimed to repair the harm done to the victim of crime rather than focusing...
In ancient Ireland, hospitality wasn’t just a social nicety, it was a legal obligation under the Brehon laws. Every household was obligated to provide hospitality to those who were allowed to travel throughout Ireland, which was determined according to your societal...
Ancient Ireland was a highly stratified society. Everyone had their precise place in the clan based initially on their birth. Life began and ended with your own clan. You were obligated to the clan, and the clan was obligated to you. Your rights and obligations were...
The Celtic culture expanded across Europe from Turkey to Ireland between the eighth and first centuries BCE. Most of these territories were conquered by the Romans beginning in the first century BCE. Ireland never came under Roman domination and maintained its...
If you’re not quite up to tackling the ponderous Ancient Laws of Ireland, there is a series of historical mysteries featuring a fictional lady Brehon and nun, Sister Fidelma, written by Peter Tremayne. The stories are set in the middle to late seventh century Ireland...
