The History of the World Podcast, written and presented by Chris Hasler. Volume 4, The Medieval World

Episode 26, The Battle of Clontaff. If Oh, you know, you know,

you know, now, oh, oh, Today. Today's story takes us to the island of Ireland, which is the western most of the

two large islands of the British Isles that lie just off the northwest coast of continental Europe.

However, during the last glacial maximum approximately 20,000 years ago, Ireland was very much a part of the continental

landmass of Europe due to the lower sea levels, meaning that more land was above caused a significant rising in the

ice sheets melting caused a significant rising in the sea levels in a

short period of time and one of these

meltwater pulses may have caused island to have become separated from the rest of

Europe over 10,000 years ago, and a significant amount of time before Great Britain

became separated itself.

Radio-carbon dating of animal bones strongly suggest that humans were inhabiting Ireland around 10,000 years ago and it is likely that they were able to make it there without a sea crossing. These people may have lived in seasonal

settlements sheltered in thatched huts and living a hunter-gara lifestyle with no evidence of farming. The site at Mount Sandall in the

modern country of Northern Ireland demonstrates this early Irish way of life.

It is likely that island was separated from Europe by water when agriculture did reach the island. On the west coast of the Republic of Ireland there exists evidence of

agricultural field management that dates back around 6,000 years.

The age and nature of this site at Cada Fields makes this site

globally significant when tracking the historical developments of the earliest forms of agriculture.

Some have suggested that the field system displays signs of the Celtic styles of farming,

but this is highly contentious, along with the difference of opinions

when Celtic language speakers actually migrated to Ireland. We certainly know that aspects of traditional Celtic culture were present in Ireland

as long ago as 500 BCE and this is thanks to the discovery of art. However, the exact nature of the migration

...