Passed on orally from at least the first century BC the Brehon Laws, named for Ireland's wandering jurists, were first set down on parchment in the seventh century AD, using the newly developed written Irish language, and continued in use until the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Although the Irish had been living by the laws since before the time of Julius Caesar, by the time of Elizabeth I the Brehons, along with the Irish poets, were considered a danger to the realm, and the old laws "lewd", "unreasonable", and "barbarous".  And so the Brehons, the poets and the ancient laws were banned and English common law substituted.  It was the end of the Gaelic order.

The Irish laws served as a repository of primitive customs, some dating back 3,000 years and most gathered by Celtic wanderers from various members of this far flung Indo-European family. 

Certain Irish laws, for example, mirror the Germanic tribal custom of demanding payment of a fine, generally in livestock, for deliberate assault or homicide.  Others outline preparations for the great assemblies held regularly at Tara and other pagan burial sites long before the arrival of Saint Patrick - gatherings that correspond to the assemblies and funeral games held at the Roman Forum.


This month's Brehon Law