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Ireland and the Making
of Britain
the mother of the Irish language, was sister to Latin and
Greek, and the Celtic dialects spoken in Gaul appear to
have shaded so gradually into the Italic or Latin lan-
guages spoken in the South that there hardly
seems to
have been a frontier line between them. 1
The continued intercourse of the Irish with their
Gaulish kindred soon filled Ireland with the refinements
of a luxurious civilization. "From various sources we
learn," says Gilbert, "that in those ancient times the native
dress was costly and picturesque and the habits and modes
of living of the chiefs splendid and oriental. The high-born
and wealthy wore tunics of fine linen of immense width,
girdled with gold, and with flowing sleeves after the eastern
fashion. The fringed cloak, or cuchula, with a hood,
after the Arab mode, was clasped on the shoulders with
a golden brooch. Golden circlets of beautiful and classic
form, confined their long, flowing hair, crowned with
which the chiefs sat at the banquet, or went to war. San-
dals upon the feet, and bracelet and signet rings, of rich
and curious workmanship, completed the costume. The
ladies wore the silken robes and flowing veils of Persia,
or rolls of linen wound round the head like the Egyptian
Isis, the hair curiously plaited down the back and fastened
with gold and silver bodkins, while the neck and arms
were profusely covered with jewels."
Thus the relics of a civilization 3,000 years old may
iThe names of the chiefs of Gaul who fought with Caesar are comprehensible
in Irish: For example: Vercingetorix, Irish Fear cinn gacha toruish,
"the man at the head of every expedition;" Dumnorix, Irish domadh an torus,
"second person of the expedition;" Orgetorix, Irish orra, "chief," gacha, "ol
every," torus, "expedition;" Eporedorix, Irish ab urra torus, "sire and chiel
of the expedition;" Andecumborius, Irish an te cum bothar, "ambassador,"
"man for the road;" Bellovesus, Irish bealach flosach, "man acquainted with
the highways;" and so on. The case is the same with the names of places
Garonne, Irish garbh amhan, "rough river;" Alps, Irish ailp, "mountain; 1
Sequana, Irish seach amhan, "dividing river." The names are written dowr
by Caesar as they sounded to Roman ears. (See Holder, Alt-Celtischei
Sprachschatz, Leipzig, 1896; "Irish Names in Caesar," Catholic World, Nev
York, 1882.)
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