Brehon Laws: The Ancient Wisdom of Ireland

By Jo Kerrigan and Richard Mills

A fascinating look at the lifestyle and values of ancient Ireland
Thousands of years ago, Celtic Ireland was a land of tribes and warriors; but a widely accepted, sophisticated and surprisingly enlightened legal system kept society running smoothly.
The brehons were the keepers of these laws, which dealt with every aspect of life: land disputes; recompense for theft or violence; marriage and divorce processes; the care of trees and animals.
Transmitted orally from ancient times, the laws were transcribed by monks around the fifth century, and what survived was translated by nineteenth-century scholars.
Jo Kerrigan has immersed herself in these texts, revealing fascinating details that are inspiring for our world today.
With atmospheric photographs by Richard Mills, an accessible introduction to a hidden gem of Irish heritage

• Language: English
• Publisher: The O'Brien Press
• Release date: Mar 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781788491938

Jo Kerrigan

Jo Kerrigan grew up amid the wild beauties of West Cork; after working in the UK as writer, academic and journalist, she returned home to the place she loved best. She now writes regularly for a range of publications, including The Irish Examiner and the Evening Echo as well as international magazines, and operates a very popular online weblog.

Book preview

��Ldbook_preview_excerpt.html�Z�r9��<�����:�!��X�����G� $Ѫj�*Ҝ���}�����='��<�z�MQ�d��o��ݛ+8�_����zW�~�����]�v��\�^��x��>���ϫ���\���>�������Ň7��������7��̻�o?�1��X6����<���/\~��˜�#������� �����;g>ح�����ዑ�
۩}Ͽ>k]s��fgƝ3c������ ��l۹�G.����к��n�˅/wv]27�=�0/�w���1��7�q�f���LC���ˣq�ML0vs�:|��5���ټ ye����>S/�h\��o��8Wvf��Mg�ߍ�r4�x�e�:�w�v���r">�����[���}�^��4���+��F��er;lӚ{�GyJ{�w����|��}�Nw����.�O6�o^���:��;���n6f9��S�u8�]���޹��l~��L���=�nijs6���<��6�~l����;3w��
n��)� R�Z�Ull��j�_>����u��[�}C�s�_ǤHqt�޺����� j\ �+·c�������2u�g�6%_������*�V��顁>�C[]��ݻ�u�_�l|���)�Z�,מ`; ��ߓs�±a��e�F!j�r����nw$��ւ^L�F���S��Gg�ov�X�J�v�P=�a� `7~s��H8�GD_�k'/J��r1a�{�/�pT�}m��f�!|7�I��i�쭙�֨V��P��7@���ZO��ٟ~���Y���_U_����� �������Q3� ����<�A�u �<�j"�l��ѦA�AS�{cňd�~���k�}�>[h�AЎ\��t�䟌��>ހ�!&����M�iD�,��V��~3u����Z���
(���V0��9l����™�����Zf5nf�d�x�%�0�0iv]��p桳 ��{�A��4�h���M6�F���f3ю�
P��y��5�� HQ��@���`�϶�"0���fz[��2�A��\�Vo���.؇p�0�:�����=Er��fe|<�yzȔ��`��Q�0��ɯ��|��i�%��������dr�"�D_�|r�pDJ�kL�k���0jj�$3@g}���[�)e+H���qc��4g�i�Mp�l>Vf�C,ԣ�a�h�m6&|c����GdB�h���[��m�a0r��%rNQ�o\�{ġ.9Ĭ&�Hf���en� H�>�:`͑��aydG�bzqO����QD��!�#�3Ѹ��Z�ެ�4� P��ˆ��{1��<{�i%�bյJ_<�hh�G�'�O��gQ%A�Y*�y��c;�!��݄��:�Yq���G(�#A�"���2����;�7�������Q[q �ۿӚ�!giޫ�Q��TC��B�=3ףX��L^l��)+�ඞ�ec}�+�Q����A�̓f

�V1{�{fw&��Cզ����$k0�I�1E�43W܀J`���G=��Ŭr�OԀ��N��U�C����h�c�/w`K��=�I��� ]l4$zH��2����V��}�e��{��T�2�2lR@Is�&S�"P�U� ̲����(
��M8��X�-Ƃ%��$��V� �{��N�]&�:-H� >�Dx:���o�`Y2�`�#*��=�Ղ@��c��A����3`��o����0���
Lt(�-��/-Rhމ���%f�$5��2N�ShP�n�>�ĉ6�Z>lm��%ߗ ^��� �L� t<��W|"�#�m���~�j��� ��n�ަ�Y��N;EX��b�C���[=�@�C9
k81����ԯŴ+���2�4���ML�L.�3�uQlq:��L\��A �^sd����o�}�f��xT!)�S&b�i$d��Vs0DH��a�+��  jAS�j��8gO�g��,rf��K�Q�MP��r �V��k�^��e�á��T�@�ds[d�м��RQ#u<��R>�~�x��l�әR��n1 ˙ֹ�hf��a�ˁK��@�r�(ũ� ���)Jw�{�;��n��&�֡�R�M�➕|�aGs 5�� )�V���,�@� R�j��T[C�t��v�A(ggi|�#b���*CIz��t�خ� �g�I�L�R��$��
5�v���zpלO{ь"�Z�U�8Bo�Y�x<�(d��>� $(䇒MN�ja��b�^d�q�J-�܄jQ��[�� �Q��0���JD�ɫ���y8��"E�{(_ʵ6����*Y�
s��ZG (�,����,����}�tR�.���*fz!=K��Du��Æ;��,YLX�)�;�&��ࡍN�-5ڥ똁/�tJЀJ�wQ�(5Z58�:�I���n%�@��{)���������st���{YRle$�(k�hgEk�ʪ�u���|X� K�G�[�P<��:$O��"kM䜋 @����m��l��ѻҚʥ��g���2� ��MD�RA?w
�� �Ԭ4G
�UY��u��Bʁ��T�:C�l �l&)N���s9�l[v)�E�BJ�C��(� ^�j'��x�/L!N�8 5�-�N�z\�
�m;���@�rl���� �ͤ�E\��s��H$���MV����;̹"/@_�-���X�Խ��rU�],Pz,��D������m�ʻI]�����6�J\K�JdJl������_��җ² ���l���K�P�* 8�y��%/���JV���ݮ�[��@/�,�kU�LlRb�P
3߮!���k$.�*X����mIJ�ЯS��SsOU0��K� ����#v�d�C��3$F��Y�ԛt���R�JOl=I��XG)8�ʀ���Ƌ�hU���gV��أx��*)M�Z����d�D�ɱPm5z�E�f|0��ײ*�mY��R�s�b�j�< a�jY�-B�$.�e�a��_��q)Lw�Hc!Dch�J�9|�T� e���5����YmN!Oy��U౐ǙyG�q���u�`IV/1@*�C$��d.��=����KxIž�-�Xpg,��+���`����W$��A3+�+�Q��į��`������=���TO�r���t�-���V�6K[E�Р���=�L�Tn��x]�rfόȀ�^�,�<+)З�]�J���#��:���FXii��M�.�m�������X�%��Q���,�2�+,�������/�_x�K$Tl�����_x]� 5���,9��
&��D���Co�B�"ܶI(��.�B9b�u*;HVy�)��HF�.�eF����F!��~�.�[���;>AVN�:{�:���NdSy���,��c1M��C�/��Ik|�}dI{O����zY����:�MݥS��)�)���,�w�sU�Ff�[�ؒb���27]g��y�]gW�±ぺ��O�Ϟ����K�����|`�H�3��'t�z�p�e��P�Ȳ��K�bwn�`<3��v���p��_ �Y��Ǔ�� �ѲF�ވ����u#�����#] G �-,Ϳ2@B��U���җ�+a&P�[��\���_��=6�����f���r? 2��8 M9ٕ\�,j��P� +[�����Z�����9�,,I��Fi՗>hwr�|�eH)��'4$L�Z��C����=�f���8�fs���TҖ�vZ����V��W�̝�
� ��-5jl� z�w����^�b�/!��U���3z�%$��B�*��=�J�r=%��?�
)'