It is Good to Know Your Sources

 Some Sources for Irish History and Prehistory         

              Labor Gabala Erenn, In English The Book of Invasions, from Cessair to Danann is a literary work of the taking of Ireland. It is not just a pack of lies, but is best taken with a grain of salt. It has been influenced by the church, by conaurers, and by Roman works.

            If it becomes your principal source for early Irish history you may stray far from reality.

            There is information on pre-Roman Ireland and it is being studied and clarified. But even our timeline of those early days and centuries is as faulty as our timeline of Egyptian early history and prehistory.

Historians:

            There are English translations of early Irish histories. I would like to see well translated works by Roderick O'Flaherty. I have heard of his work Ogygia. He is an Irish historian born in 1629 AD and who died in about 1717. He seems to have been the last recognized chief of clan Flaherty. He inherited Muycullen Castle and lost it tp Cromwell in the 165os. His son helped him lose another 200,000 acres. He became a highly regarded historian with neither Castle nor 200,000 acres. Seems a fine man for coming from as far north as he did.

            His teacher was Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, who has been known ad Duald MacFirbis, Dudly Ferbisie. He was known to be alive in 1643 and died in January of 1671. He was an Irish scribe, translator, historian, and genealogist. He was one of the last traditionally trained Irish Gaelic scholars. His best known work is the Leabhar na nGenealach which was published in 2004 as The Great Book of Irish Genealogies.

            Who is Eamonn Burca

            Dudly may have received his training at Mac Aohagain bardic school located at Ballymaceagan Lough Derg, County Tipperary.

Prehistory and myth   

            Remember when we say prehistory we usually mean that solid documentation is lacking. And that often we say myth we speak of another

 man's religion or history.

 

            Ogygia is a name for the mythical Greek island of  Calypso. The Nymph Calypso lived on an island called Calypso. It is said that the name Calypso refers to "hidden knowledge" or "concealing the knowledge." Calypso's father may have been Atlas and her mother Tethys.

            Dudly in Ogyia credits Milesius as the father of the Goidelic people. Sounds right.  The people of  the island of Milesius may be those who caused my name to be changed to Sheehan. It  may well be a truth passed on by Dudly that each letter of ancient Ogham is the name of a given tree.

            There is a lot to enjoy and a lot to learn about Ireland's wide ranging ancient connections with a significant part of the world.

            Thank you for reading.

                                                                                rcs