Ulster in the History of Ireland: The Story of the Ancient Kindred - Tapa blanda

Today many of the people of Ireland think of themselves as 'Celtic', and indeed it is hard to think of the Celts without thinking of Ireland. Yet nowhere in ancient writings are the inhabitants of Ireland called Celts. The Celtic culture flourished around the Upper Danube from the late Bronze Age until it was overrun by the Romans and various Germanic peoples, but even in Europe there is no evidence that they called themselves Celts. They were known as the Ancient Kindred. They spread across Europe, scattering into tribal nations, and they brought their various traditions to Ireland as successive waves of invaders.

Michael Steven Sheane was born in England in 1947. He was educated at Larne Grammar School and Orange's Academy, Belfast, a mixed Protestant and Catholic college, and attended Trinity College Dublin. A man from Ballygally on the Antrim Coast, he now lives in Antrim. His hobbies include stamp collecting, photography and walking. He contributes to press, radio and television on Ulster affairs. He also writes for Ireland's Own, and now combines writing with business.