Old Irish

Medieval Ireland offers an unusually rich and varied corpus of literature, including saga, law, religion, pseudo-history and poetry. It was one of the earliest cultures in medieval Europe to produce extensive literature in its own vernacular, and yet this material is little known or studied. Old Irish (while challenging) is not in fact impossible for those who are new to language learning. The problem is not so much in the nature of the language, as in the inaccessibility of the available textbooks. This book is consciously and deliberately written with the absolute beginner in mind (including those who have no prior grammatical training). We believe it is the only book that can stand alone as an accessible introduction for the interested layperson as well as the school or university student. By providing an accessible introduction to Old Irish, this book aims to encourage many more people to explore and enjoy the literature of medieval Ireland.