About Irish (Early Irish and modern Irish), BA (Hons) - at Trinity College Dublin

Students may study:

EITHER early Irish in combination with one other subject (TR001)
OR modern Irish in combination with one other subject (TR001)
OR early and modern Irish (TR022)

Early Irish component

Early Irish cannot be studied as a single subject. It must be combined with one other subject within the two-subject moderatorship programme. This is a joint honors programme; both subjects are studied for three years and one subject only is studied in the fourth year. Early Irish may only be combined with Modern Irish in the single honor Early and Modern Irish degree (TR022).

Is this the right course for me?

This course is aimed at those who wish to study the language, literature and culture of Ireland from the earliest period to the 12th century.

Course content

Early Irish considers all aspects of this subject up to the 12th century. While the course itself is taught through the medium of English, you will have the opportunity to learn the old Irish language (8th-9th centuries) ab initio (from beginner level). If you decide to specialise in early Irish in your fourth year, a course in modern and medieval Welsh language and literature is provided. During the course your study of the language will extend forward to the middle Irish period (10th-12th centuries) and backward to the primitive Irish of Ogham inscriptions. It will also examine the Celtic and Indo-European relationships of the Irish language. Old and Middle Irish prose and verse texts will be read and discussed and lectures will be given on palaeography (the study of manuscripts) and on aspects of early Irish political and social history.

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Entry requirements for this course

Contact Trinity College Dublin to find course entry requirements.

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Related information

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