The Virtuality of Ancient Ireland
A welcome from Accasbel, the inn-keeper
Cyberspace is very, very old. The ancient Irish knew about it. They called it Tír na nÓg (The Land of Youth).
Irish legends and myths tell of a land where mortal time was suspended and everyone was young and beautiful. Sounds like cyberspace to me!
This is a virtual hangout, with an Irish Mythological and Cultural flavour. The Ancients might have described it as a 'thin place' - a place where the real world and the other world become close.
The only physical connection with the real world is a telephone line from an old stone cottage in Cobh, on the shores of Cork Harbour in Ireland.
You can linger here and browse through the content. Up to 2016, online chat and message boarding were on offer. The main buzz centers around:
An Irish claim on Cyberspace
The involvement of our Irish ancestors with cyberspace was not only legendary but also prescient.
The ancients cut code into stones with a script called 'Ogham' (pronounced as 'home' without the 'h'). These Ogham Stones, of which some hundreds still survive in Ireland from pre-historic times, are the precursors of our modern Home pages.
In early christian times, Irish monks recorded gospels and legends in manuscripts using an 'uncial' script. One translation of 'uncial' is 'bit-by-bit'.
Mere coincidence? I think not! You can't argue with 'scientific facts' like these.
No, when it comes to cyberspace, the Irish are (as we say in Cork) "Way ahead o' ye, boy"
Refreshments
Coffee - Java (debandwidthated)
Coffee - Irish (made with Uisce Beatha, the Water of Life)
- and -
Overheard in Tír na nÓg
Even when you walk slowly through a crowd, you only catch snippets of conversation.
- The last thing I said to the eejit was "Whatever you do, don't get off the horse"
- That Lir's a surly one. All I said was "How's the kids?"
- And they all arrive back from Cooley with this bull. "That goes straight back", says I, "before the Department finds out or we all catch CJH."
- I walked straight up to him. "Now look here Balor", says I
It seems rude to hover and eavedrop. Perhaps some reading of Irish Mythology could give some clues as to what they are talking about.
The story of Tír na nÓg
I keep meaning to put up a version of the old tale, but "the road to hell is paved with good intentions".
The number of versions available on the Web is growing, which must say something about something.
It's my que to point out a few of ones that I like, and the reasons.
This version of Tír na nÓg, from the second class in Scoil Chaitlín Maude Tamhlacht, has lots of 'value added'. It has
Social History of Ancient Ireland
This is a Tír na nÓg project to gradually build a comprehensive picture of Ancient Ireland.
Archaeology of Ancient Ireland
The emphasis in this section is on archaeology from earliest times up to the Iron Age.
The Iron Age coincides with the blossoming of the Celtic culture.
Theme Links
Tír na nÓg is here to add content to the Web. I want to avoid simply listing links that relate to Irish Celtic mythology, folklore, early history and language.
This area of the Café contains groups of links that I find interesting. Each section is a work in progress - eclectic with a bit of thought.
Ogham is a script use by the Ancient Irish. The links describe the Ogham symbols and their backgrounds.
Irish Gaelic (Gaeilge). Links to on-line lessons and resources.
Folklore, Mythology, History and Art - More of an 'other' section at the moment.
Irish Genealogy - Links for the Irish and their decendants.
Ogham is where the hearth is
Café spirits cut their own 'Ogham Pages here
Note that these personages have heroic names as befits their stature. None of your
'jdoe@anon.com' for these worthies!
Japhet of the Parthelonian Front
An activist fighting for the rights of the aboriginal population of Ireland.
Niall of the Nine Bandages
A bronze-age warrior affected by new technology
Mac Carell , The Superintelligent Fish
Not to be confused with the Breadán Feasa
Muse
One of the nice things about the creation of this site is that it has sparked the creative urge in others.
Quill
Quill was a chat regular amongst regulars. She sometimes weaved stories around some other regulars, some ideas that come up in chat, and her own (wild) imagination.- Some stories appeared during lulls in Chat.
- Some early ones are here.