The Story of Ancient Irish Civilisation


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.2 stars; 38 reviews)

This little book has been written and published with the main object of spreading as widely as possible among our people, young and old, a knowledge of the civilisation and general social condition of Ireland from the fifth or sixth to the twelfth century, when it was wholly governed by native rulers. The publication comes at an appropriate time, when there is an awakening of interest in the Irish language, and in Irish lore of every kind, unparalleled in our history. (Summary from the Preface) (4 hr 6 min)

Chapters

00 - Preface 5:30 Read by constatine
01 - How the Ancient Irish People were Governed by their Kings and Chiefs 12:02 Read by ashleighjane
02 - How the Warlike Old Irish Conquered Foreign Lands 12:06 Read by ashleighjane
03 - How Kings, Chiefs, and People Were Subject to the Brehon Laws 10:30 Read by ashleighjane
04 - How the Ancient Irish Lived As Pagans 12:35 Read by Mary Schneider
05 - How the Irish People Lived As Christians 9:51 Read by Mary Schneider
06 - How Ireland became the Most Learned Country in Europe 18:25 Read by TyroneS
07 - How the Irish Missionaries and Scholars Spread Religion and Learning in Foreign Countries 14:15 Read by TyroneS
08 - How the Ancient Irish Wrote down all their Literature, and how Books Increased and Multiplied 9:33 Read by Elisabeth Sollog
09 - How the Irish Scholars Compiled their Annals 9:49 Read by Elisabeth Sollog
10 - How the Irish Derived Amusement and Instruction from Historical and Romantic Tales 14:32 Read by JamesMcAndrew
11 - How the Ancient Irish Excelled in Music 11:34 Read by Highlandoaks
12 - How the Ancient Irish Excelled in Art 7:01 Read by lilbert
13 - How the Ancient Irish Physicians were Skilled in Medicine 12:15 Read by James Birkinshaw
14 - How the Old Irish People Built and Arranged their Houses 6:08 Read by Highlandoaks
15 - How they ate, Drank, Feasted, and Entertained 13:33 Read by rookieblue
16 - How the People Dressed 10:04 Read by constatine
17 - How they Fenced in and Tilled their Land 3:48 Read by Diana Majlinger
18 - How Irish Handicraftsmen Excelled in their Work 10:31 Read by rookieblue
19 - How they Prepared and Made up Clothing Materials 6:49 Read by JenniferRutters
20 - How the Irish Travelled on Land and Water 6:55 Read by Chiquito Crasto
21 - How the People Held Great Conventions and Fairs; and how they Amused Themselves 12:58 Read by Chiquito Crasto
22 - How the Character of the Old Irish People showed itself in various Circumstances and on various Occasions 15:19 Read by Chiquito Crasto

Reviews

Stellar first listen


(5 stars)

This was my distraction while at work today. Very enjoyable (albeit a bit outdated with its info) read. Readers were just fine and easy to understand even when they were bumbling a bit.

The Story of Ancient Irish Civilization


(5 stars)

Fascinating

robbie44


(2.5 stars)

Readers were mostly good.’ However, the text has some troublesome “claims.’ According to the author, the Irish are responsible for practically everything good in the development of civilization! It is a very narrow view of human accomplishments with no nod to Greek, Roman, Arabic, Indian, Chinese, or ANY other great culture. It must be read with a wider understanding to put it into context.


(4 stars)

Puts much faith in legend and includes some clearly false boasts--it claims the Irish was the first to know things that resrarch shows the Greeks knew. Yet also has a lot of facts, and the Irish pride of an author writing before Ireland won its Independence is charming.