Protohistory of Ireland facts for kids

The prehistory of Ireland is a long time before written records began. It includes a period called protohistory. This is when people in places like Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome started writing about Ireland, even though people in Ireland weren't writing much themselves yet. There was also a time when early Irish people used a special ancient alphabet called ogham to carve messages on stones.

The true "early historical period" in Ireland began around the 5th century. Historians try to understand what happened politically during these early times by looking at old Irish family histories and stories.

Ireland in Ancient Writings

Ancient writers from Greece and Rome often mentioned Ireland in their books. This helps us learn about the island before its own written history.

Tacitus's Account

Tacitus was a famous Roman historian. He wrote that his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, thought about taking over Ireland. Agricola was the governor of Britain from AD 78 to 85. He believed it would only take one Roman legion (a large army unit) and some helper troops to conquer Ireland.

Tacitus also mentioned that Agricola met an Irish prince who had been forced to leave his home. Agricola thought about using this prince as an excuse to invade Ireland. This story is similar to an old Irish legend about Túathal Techtmar. He was said to have been exiled to Britain as a child. Later, he returned with an army to become king of Hill of Tara in the 1st century.

Tacitus also knew that many of Ireland's harbors were known because of trade. However, he was wrong about where Ireland was located. He thought it was between Britain and the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).

Juvenal's Poem

Juvenal was a Roman poet who lived in the 2nd century. In one of his poems, he talked about the Roman army's victories. He said that Rome had conquered Britain and the Orkney islands. He also wrote that Roman armies had "advanced arms beyond the shores of Iuverna." Iuverna was the Roman name for Ireland.

Even though Juvenal was writing a poem, not a history book, some people think he might have been talking about a real Roman military trip to Ireland.

Ptolemy's Maps and Descriptions

Ptolemy was a very important Greek writer from Alexandria in the 2nd century. He was a great geographer, mathematician, and astronomer. He wrote about Ireland in two of his famous works.

In his book about astronomy, the Almagest, he called Ireland Mikra Brettania, or "Little Britain." He gave its latitude, which is how far north or south a place is.

In his book Geography, he placed the island Iwernia (Ireland) next to Albion (Great Britain). This book gives the most detailed description of Ireland from ancient times. Ptolemy listed the locations of:

• Six headlands (points of land sticking out into the sea)
• Fifteen river mouths
• Ten settlements (towns or villages)
• Nine islands

He also named sixteen different groups of people living in Ireland.

Ireland's North Coast

Ptolemy described the northern coast of Ireland. He started from the "Northern Promontory" in the west. This might be Bloody Foreland or Rossan Point in County Donegal. He then moved east.

He mentioned the Wenniknion promontory, probably Malin Head. He also noted the mouth of the river Widwa (likely the River Foyle) and the river Argita (perhaps the River Bann). Finally, he reached the Rhobogdion promontory (Fair Head, County Antrim). The people living on this coast were the Wenniknioi in the west and the Rhobogdioi in the east.

Ireland's West Coast

Ptolemy's description of the west coast is not as clear as the others. It's hard to be sure about the names he gave. He started from the Northern Promontory again.

Moving south, he named the river Rhawiu (possibly the River Erne). He also mentioned the town Magnata, where the Magnatai people lived. This town might have been in County Sligo. He listed the mouths of several rivers:

• Libniu (possibly Clew Bay)
• Ausoba (perhaps Galway Bay)
• Senu (probably the River Shannon, though he placed it too far north)
• Dur (possibly Dingle Bay)
• Iernu (possibly the Kenmare)

He ended with the "Southern Promontory," which could be Slea Head, Bray Head, Dursey Head, or Mizen Head.

The groups of people on this coast included:

• The Erdinoi near Donegal Bay.
• The Magnatai or Nagnatai in County Mayo and Sligo.
• The Auteinoi between County Galway and the Shannon, who are linked to the early medieval Uaithni.
• The Ganganoi, also known in north Wales.
• The Wellaboroi in the far southwest.

Ireland's South Coast

The south coast stretches from the Southern Promontory to the "Sacred Promontory" (Carnsore Point, County Wexford). Along this coast, Ptolemy named the mouths of the rivers Dabrona (possibly the Lee or the Blackwater) and Birgu (probably the Barrow).

The people living on the south coast were:

• The Iwernoi in the west. Their name is similar to the island's name, Iwernia. They are connected to the early medieval Érainn.
• The Usdiai.
• The Brigantes in the east, who shared their name with a group of people in Roman Britain.

Ireland's East Coast

From the Sacred Promontory in the south to the Rhobogdion promontory in the north, Ptolemy listed many features. He named the river Modonnu (possibly the Slaney, but more likely the Avoca). He also mentioned the town of Manapia, where the Manapii people lived.

Other rivers and towns included:

• The river Oboka (perhaps the Liffey; the modern Avoca River got its name from a misunderstanding of Ptolemy's Oboka).
• The town of Eblana, where the Eblanoi lived. This town was once wrongly thought to be Dublin.
• The river Buwinda (the Boyne).
• The promontory Isamnion.
• The river Winderios (possibly Carlingford Lough, Dundrum Bay, or Strangford Lough).
• The river Logia (Belfast Lough, called Loch Laoigh in Irish).

The groups of people named on the east coast, from south to north, were:

• The Koriondoi.
• The Manapioi, who might be related to the Menapii people from Gaul (ancient France).
• The Kaukoi, who were probably not related to the Germanic Chauci from the Low Countries.
• The Eblanoi.
• The Woluntioi, who are linked to the early medieval Ulaid.
• The Darinoi.

See also

In Spanish: Protohistoria de Irlanda para niños