only 1,524,286 Irish speakers (then 23 percent of the population), of which only 319,602 were monoglots.

Throughout the nineteenth century attempts were made to restore the language and force the English administration to recognise it. Under this administration it was presumed that no such thing as an Irish language existed. Only in 1878 was it allowed to be taught as an optional subject in intermediate schools. Campaigns were fought and concessions were won, so that by 1909 Irish was accepted as a subject for matriculation in the education system.

When the Irish Free State came into being, it was accepted as an official language of the state. There has been a flourishing of Irish literature during this century and some of the works have been widely translated. Brendan Behan’s play An Giall (The Hostage) was written and originally performed in Irish at the Damer Hall Theatre, Dublin, in 1956, before it was translated into English. Another of his plays, “The Quare Fellow,” was originally written as Casadh Sugáin Eile (The Twisting of Another Rope). Irish now possesses a rich and versatile modern literature as well as being the heir to one of the oldest and richest literatures in Europe, which includes a mythology that ranks second to none.

Irnan

[I] One of the three sorceress daughters of Conaran the Dé Danaan who dwelt at Dún Conaran. With her sisters she was sent to capture some members of the Fianna. This was accomplished by spinning a magic web with which to capture the warriors. But Goll Mac Morna, coming along later, saw what the three hags had done and killed two of them. When Irnan begged for mercy and promised to release the warriors, he spared her. Fionn Mac Cumhail arrived when they were being released, and Irnan changed into a monster and laid a geis on Fionn or his warriors to accept single combat. Oisín, Oscar, and Celta all refused to fight the monster. Fionn accepted but Goll said it was not seemly for Fionn to fight the hag even if she was in the shape of a monster. Goll then fought and killed Irnan, and for this Fionn gave his daughter Cebha to him in marriage.

Iron

Appears frequently in myths as a valuable and magical property. At the start of the first millennium b.c. the Celts were possessed of great skill in metalwork, especially in the use of iron, a metal only then becoming known to craftsmen of the classical world. By the sixth century b.c. their formidable armaments of spears, swords,