In Search of Ancient Ireland: The Origins of the Irish from Neolithic Times to the Coming of the English

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Summary: Monasteries, ring forts, mountains, sacred caves, & more
Review: Collaboratively researched and written by Irish history expert Carmel McCaffrey and television writer, producer, and director Leo Eaton, In Search Of Ancient Ireland: The Origins Of The Irish From Neolithic Times To The Coming Of The English offers a truly fascinating and informative look at the origins of the Irish people and culture from the "New Stone Age" down of pre-history to the Norman invasion of 1167 AD, which brought the country under control of the English crown for the first time. Monasteries, ring forts, mountains, sacred caves, and as much as can be excavated or deduced of ancient history is superbly featured with a wealth of fine detail in this fascinating and highly readable resource. The companion book to a PBS television series of the same name, In Search Of Ancient Ireland is enthusiastically recommended for personal, academic, and community library Irish History Studies collections and reading lists.

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Summary: Good lite treatment.
Review: Given that this book is meant as a companion to the BBC/PBS special by the same name, I suppose the reader should not expect too much depth of treatment of the Ancient Irish. While that is certainly true, it serves as a very good layman's introduction to the current state of knowledge about Irish culture before the coming of the English.

In particular, I found the information about cultural upheavals being tied to environmental catastrophes, and the various insights into everyday Irish life, quite refreshing. I would say that, for me, the first half of the book is definately the most valuable - as much of the information in the latter chapters is covered in other works.

Unfortunately, much of the factual meat is caught up in descriptions of scenes, which while obviously shown in the television version, just can't come across in the written form. However, these instances can be overlooked quite easily, if the reader is inclined to do so, so that the substance of what is being discussed shines through.

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Summary: An enlightened view of the Irish past
Review: I bought this book because I wanted to know more about early Irish history and was pleasantly surprised by what I learned. I thought I had some idea of what Ireland was like prior to the twelfth century because I had read other books on the topic but this one was really enlightening. It gives far greater detail to the period and sets out the details in a way that does not presume that the reader has any background on the subject. I think this is what I liked most about it. I felt very close to the Ireland of the periods described and very proud of my Irish ancestry. Irish history starts much further back than I had previously thought. Not other book that I have read gives the wonderful details of the 'golden' Bronze Age Irish. Also, I liked the fact that it gave a much more enlightened view of the pre-Christian Irish and their very interesting way of life. I would have liked more pictures and I think this would have improved the book but I suppose that is a cost issue for the publisher.

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Summary: Excellent overview
Review: I found this book to be an excellent overview of the current status of scholarship as regards the origins of the Irish people. The details are well presented and well written and make for a great introduction for students. I have used it in the classroom as a excellent tool to go along with the DVD of the TV series. The authors have successfully found the way to make learning fun and approachable. They combine personal experiences and descriptions of historic sites with the current knowledge of archeologists, pre-historians and into the early historic period. I recommend it for all who want to explore current scholarship on Ireland.

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Summary: Interesting and well written
Review: I just got this book as a gift and practically read it in one sitting. I could not put it down. It gives such fine details about the origins of the Irish and the earliest Irish history going back to pre-historic times. I learned more from this than from the Cahill book which disappointed me. There is much more detail here about the actual day to day life in the Irish monasteries plus the new archeological evidence on the Celtic presence in Ireland. Much recommended as a great read for anyone interested in how the Irish developed and what Ireland was like prior to the English invasion. BTW this is the first time I was able to see written out clearly - and understand - the events that surrounded the invasion by the English in the twelfth century. Excellent scholarship.

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Summary: Good Starting Point
Review: I knew my family name, the county we hailed from, and that WB Yeats was the worst thing to ever happen to Irish culture. But I knew nothing about actual Irish history. So I hopped on this site, compared titles and reviews and picked this.
It's general, and easy to understand. No mythology except for a few short recountings of ancient battles. It can wander a bit into High School text Book territory, but it's informative and well organized.
I reccomend this as THE place to start when you want to learn about Ireland. Best thing I learned is that the Irish were the only society to successfully repel the Romans and trade with them. Cool!

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Summary: Interesting use of sub-titles
Review: I really enjoyed this book very much. Firstly I enjoyed reading so much about the ancient history of Ireland into medieval times. As others have said, there is much that is new here and in that it differs from others book on the same period. I found the information on Irish monasteries fascinating!
The book reads in a very clear concise way. But I also liked the way the book is set out. What I particularly liked is the way the chapters are sub-headed with sub titles so that the book is easy to reference. For instance if you want to go back to a chapter you can find a subject very easily and quickly without having to read through the entire chapter to find it. I think this is a very intelligent way to layout a book. It makes for very easy reference. I recommend this to anyone who wants to investigate early Irish history and the origins of the Irish race. The book can be used as an excellent and easy reference guide.

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Summary: An Irish 'Book of Genesis'
Review: In "In Search of Ancient Ireland," Carmel Mc Caffrey and Leo Eaton have written what is essentially an Irish 'Book of Genesis' that is particularly compelling for Irish Americans who often wonder about their roots. The imagery of the songs and stories we've heard from parents and grandparents are about lost causes and loved ones, the intensely emotional ties of family and place. But true (and literally, radical) identity only comes with long memory, a far reach into the past that makes some sense of who we are now. This book goes a long way in supplying that tribal memory. It is a happy combination of good, current historical scholarship written in very accessible prose. It helps us reassess accepted notions such as the 'Celtic invasion' of Ireland and it contains many pleasant surprises. The St. Patrick we thought we knew, for instance, is very quietly stripped of his imposing Roman vestments, miter, and crosier and what emerges is a very gentle man, a dreamer who never got over his love for the Irish. He is described as returning to Ireland to forge a blend of the Christian and ancient spiritualities that was indeed something new. What may also be a surprise for some is the emphasis McCaffrey and Eaton place on the Irish genius for applied technology. They were sophisticated astronomers, the goldsmiths of Europe, the publishers of intricately artistic manuscripts. The director of the national museum is quoted as saying of the Ardagh chalice and its finely wrought gold and bronze that it was "...a technique that originated in the Roman world and was perfected and developed here by the Irish." Another Roman import that gets a thorough analysis in this book is Christianity. It is a sad part of the story, in a way, because, as the chapter "Irish Monasteries and Scholars" points out, the Irish forged an absolutely original expression of Christian life in their "monastic" settlements. Families lived and worked together, community was based on negotiated arrangements, not on imposed regulation, and scholarship and preservation of classic texts was a sacred responsibility. That world died as this book ends. But as you close this book you realize that what did not die is the Irish capacity to resurrect its genius again and again just when it is needed the most.

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Summary: Covering the latest truths about Irish history
Review: In In Search Of Ancient Ireland, the origins of the Irish people from neolithic times to the coming of the English is enhanced with new information based on recent discoveries in archaeological history. In Search Of Ancient Ireland is a clearly recommended pick for anyone interested in an updated, scholarly research tool covering the latest truths about Irish history. The Irish are not even Celtic in a true archaeological sense, the authors maintain: most Irish history is rooted in modern times and perceptions, and In Search Of Ancient Ireland provides an important gateway to understanding early Irish roots.

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Summary: Lively, intelligent, but sadly without footnotes
Review: In this popular history, the neglected pre-Christian roots of Irish culture are explored, as well as the early medieval period up to the Anglo-Norman invasions. I enjoyed the authors' incorporation of weather catastrophes, tree-ring dating, metallurgy, and archeological scenarios that enlivened the first part of the book. In my opinion, this area could've gained much more in-depth treatment, as the later, post-Patrician era has been done to death repeatedly. But I admit I learned more here than from Thomas Cahill's book, and in a much more stimulating context. The Bronze Age clarified, the myth of the Celtic invasions faded, and the appeal of the Beaker Folk widened. Now finally I know how copper was discovered, too!

Also, in later periods, as with their explanation of potentially soporific subjects like the Eoganacht rivalry with the Ui Neill, the tensions behind Brian Boru's struggle to regain sovereignty, the Viking-Irish uneasy contest and co-existence, and the legends of Patrick and why the northern powers at Armagh propagandized his cult, McCaffrey and Eaton present dramatizations effectively, and not having seen the PBS/RTE videos, I imagine these emerge even more vividly on screen. For many raised on pseudo-Celtic, often 19c-originated founding myths of supposedly Irish lore, the findings here -- reminding me of historical criticism and how it overthrew earlier readings of the Bible in the 19-20 c's -- will be revelatory.

My disappointment lies in the two authors' lack of footnotes. Although a bibliography is given, the absolute lack of following up many of the co-authors' assertions makes this a book that cannot satiate the curiosity of those readers eager to delve further into specific topics raised. While the scholars active in the making of the videos are credited in the preface and in the text when interviewed, their ideas are not necessarily those that the authors use for all of their own assumptions. The lack of follow-through here that would and should have linked the authors with their oral and printed primary and secondary sources diminishes the value of an otherwise promising overview of the pre-1171 period. Still, given the dearth of non-"magickal" and non-academically oriented books introducing readers to this period, it's a worthwhile -- if less than ideal -- survey of early Irish history.