Early Irish (JH)

Why study Early Irish?

Early Irish refers to the Irish language from the earliest period for which there are records up to the year 1200. The course covers the language and literature from the emergence of writing at the arrival of Christianity in Ireland to the production of the great saga manuscripts of the twelfth century.

Early Irish: The course for you?

If you are interested in acquiring a reading knowledge of Medieval Irish, in which the great saga literature of our manuscripts was written, and if you want to understand where today’s Irish language comes from, then this is the course for you.

Early Irish at Trinity

The Irish department staff at Trinity are recognised as experts in their fields, and many former students are now teaching in universities at home and abroad. You will enjoy small class sizes and a friendly atmosphere.

Pathways

Early Irish is taken as a Modern Language option as part of Trinity Joint Honours, and is available in combination with the following subjects: Ancient History and Archaeology; Classical Civilisation; Drama Studies; English Studies; Film; French; German; History; History of Art and Architecture; Italian; Linguistics; Mathematics; Middle Eastern Jewish and Islamic Civilisations; Music; Russian; Sociology.

Students interested in studying Early Irish in combination with Irish should refer to the separate course, Early and Modern Irish, TR022, here.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

Some students of Early Irish pursue independent research in the subject with a view to teaching at third level. Many follow a career in teaching or journalism, especially in Irish-language related media. Library archiving, the public service, marketing, business, interpreting and translation all figure in the profiles of past students.

Your degree and what you’ll study

The Early Irish course, which is taught through the medium of English, covers the history of the Irish language from its first appearance on the Ogam inscriptions at the dawn of the Christian era in the fifth century, to the highly polished language of the sagas and law texts preserved in the medieval manuscript collections held in the libraries of Trinity, the Royal Irish Academy and the National Library.

First and second years

In the first two years you will study the basics of Old Irish. At this stage you will read most literature in translation but you will be introduced to the original texts gradually and you will see how the language emerged and developed through the early Christian period.

Third and fourth years

In third and fourth year the horizons are expanded; your study of the history of the language will take you back to its Celtic origins and forward to the dawn of Modern Irish. At this stage you will be reading prose and poetry as well as law and history in the original language, and a special course in palaeography will teach you how to read the manuscripts themselves. Third year students may opt to spend time in Aberystwyth, Wales, Utrecht in the Netherlands or Marburg in Germany, studying subjects like Welsh and historical linguistics.

At all levels, you will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and exams. We use a mix of traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods: essays, project work, presentations, book reviews, dossiers and podcast creation. Language modules are assessed by written examination.

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements. For more details of qualifications that meet Band B, see the English Language Requirements page here.