Iverni facts for kids
The Iverni were an ancient people who lived in Ireland a very long time ago. They are first mentioned in a book called Geography by a writer named Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. He said they lived in the far southwest part of the island.
Ptolemy also wrote about a "city" called Ivernis in their land. He noticed that this city had the same name as the whole island, which he called Ivernia. It's thought that "Iverni" might have once been a name for all the people of Ireland. But by Ptolemy's time, it probably only referred to the people in the southwest. These Iverni are believed to be the same as the Érainn, another group of people known from the early Middle Ages in places like Munster.
The old royal families of the Érainn are sometimes called the Dáirine.
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What Does "Iverni" Mean?
The name Iverni comes from an old Irish word, *Īwernī. This word means "people of *Īweriū", which was the old name for the island of Ireland. This name comes from even older words that mean "fertile land." So, the name Iverni likely means "people of the fertile land."
Some experts, like John T. Koch, believe that "Iverni" was once a name for all the people of Ireland. However, by the time Ptolemy wrote his book, it probably only referred to the people living in the southwest of the island.
Who Were the Érainn People?
In old Irish family records, the Érainn are seen as a distinct group of people. They were different from other groups like the Laigin and Cruthin. Many groups in Munster were considered Érainn, including:
- The Corcu Loígde in southwest County Cork.
- The Múscraige in Counties Cork and Tipperary.
- The Corcu Duibne in County Kerry.
- The Corcu Baiscinn in west County Clare.
Other groups in Ulster, like the Dál Riata and Dál Fiatach, were also thought to be Érainn. The Érainn seem to have been a very strong group in ancient times. However, later on, they became less powerful. One exception was the Osraige, who remained important.
The Corcu Loígde, a major Érainn group in Munster, kept some importance even after another group, the Eóganachta, became more powerful around the 7th or 8th century. It is also thought that the Uí Liatháin and Uí Fidgenti might have originally been Érainn.
Another important Érainn group in early Munster was the Mairtine. They disappeared from the Irish landscape by the early historical period. However, some of their descendants might be found in later groups like the Déisi Tuisceart and Dál gCais.
Connections to Dáire and Darini
It seems likely that the Iverni were connected to the Darini people who lived in eastern Ulster. The name "Darini" suggests they were descendants of an ancestor named Dáire. Several historical groups identified as Érainn, including the Dál Riata and Dál Fiatach in Ulster, and the Érainn of Munster, claimed to be related to Dáire.
An old name for Dundrum, County Down, was Dún Droma Dáirine. Also, the name Dáirine was used for the Corcu Loígde. This further suggests a link between the Darini and the Iverni.
Érainn Family Trees: Clanna Dedad
Family records show that the Érainn came from two different ancestors: Ailill Érann and Íar mac Dedad. Legendary relatives of Íar include the Cland Dedad (children of Deda mac Sin). These were a people from Munster who appear in the Ulster Cycle stories. They were led by Cú Roí, who was the son of Dáire mac Dedad.
Another famous relative was the legendary High King Conaire Mór, who was the grandson of Íar. The historical group Uí Maicc Iair ("grandsons of the son of Iar") and names found in old ogham inscriptions also seem to be related. The name Iar is just another form of the root word found in Iverni and Érainn.
A Theory About an Old Language
A scholar named T. F. O'Rahilly once suggested that the Iverni spoke a special language called Ivernic. He thought it was a type of P-Celtic language, similar to Brittonic languages spoken in Britain. He believed the Iverni came to Ireland from Britain and brought this language with them.
However, most experts today do not agree with O'Rahilly's theory. By the time we have historical records, the Iverni were clearly speaking Goidelic (an early form of Irish). This is shown by the many ogham inscriptions found in southwestern Ireland, which was the land of the Iverni. These inscriptions are in Archaic Irish, a Goidelic language.
See also
- List of Irish kingdoms
- List of Celtic tribes
- Mac Con
