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Celtic tribes
The Picti, named after their painted faces, were the first foreign Celt-like tribe to arrive on Ireland around 700 BCE. Due to their questionable whereabouts it is not sure whether this is a real Celtic tribe.
Euerni
The first real Celts made there appearance around 600 BCE with the Euerni. According to some the name of this tribe, which originated from nowadays Belgium and the north of France, was corrupted to Érainn, which eventually became Éire, or Ireland.
Settlements of the Euerni are found mainly in the north and the east of Ireland. Strangely the Euerni brought the art of metalworking to Ireland, but not their architecture. Seemingly they adapted the quite simple construction of the existing local dwellings.
In the north-east part of Ireland these new arrivals must have met the already settled Picti. Archaeology is unable to provide a definite answer to the question how this meeting went. Did the tribes fought against each other? Did they mingle? Or perhaps they lived side by side. On moments like this the legends might be helpful.
It is known that the Euerni claimed to be descendants of the Tuatha de Danaan. If so they might have defeated the Picti in one of the two legendary Battles of Mag Tuiredh.
Laginians and Galioins
Around 300 BCE the Laginians and the Galioins arrived on Ireland. Initially these tribes settled in the province of Leinster, but soon they extended their power to Connacht. For some reason, probably resistance from the Euerni, there advance came to a standstill in Ulster.
Gaels
With the breath of the advancing Roman army in their necks a huge wave of Gaels flooded Ireland between 150 and 50 BCE. This tribe originated from the south of modern day France and north Spain.
It is commonly accepted that the historical Gaels and the legendary Milesians are the same tribe and it is believed that the Gaels not only took advance knowledge of iron working to Ireland but also the Ogham alphabet.
The Gaels with their superior iron weapons took possession of large parts of the land and soon the Gaels dominated Ireland for the coming 1000 years.