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Iron Age And Arrival Of The Celts
The Iron Age began relatively late on Ireland in spite of its leading role in processing and manufacturing softer metals like copper and bronze during the Bronze Age. According to the common theories the Celts brought the art of iron manufacturing to Ireland at the peak of the so-called Hallstatt Era, named after a the Austria town where a specific kind of sword is discovered. This would quite accurately pinpoint the start of the both the Iron Age and the arrival of the Celts at 700 BCE.
Some scholars dissent from this theory by positioning the start of the Iron Age on Ireland even later in 600 or 500 BCE with the arrival of the Euerni.
Whether the Irish Iron Age started in 700 or in 500 BCE it took until 300 BCE until iron weapons were common. This gradual introduction is nourishing the idea that there was not one huge Celtic invasion, but several smaller migration waves.
The first wave in 700 BCE brought iron objects with them without knowing how to forge the metal. The second wave, somewhere in the sixth century BCE, might have some knowledge of the production process. It took two centuries, or perhaps a third migration wave, to bring the art of forging iron to perfection.
The long time needed before the Irish Celts were able to produce iron objects on a large scale and the jerkily learning curve reflects in the status of blacksmiths in the Celtic society. Forging was considered a mythical activity and on the Celtic social ladder the blacksmiths were equal to the druids and bards.
The Celts soon dominated large parts of the native Irish population. Legends, tales and fairy-like figures settled in Ireland to stay.
Not only the Celts discovered Ireland in this period. Seagoing nations such as Greek and Rome describe Ireland and gave it several names. The finish in the race who invented the modern Gaelic name Éire is really tight: the Greek with Ierne or a tribe called the Euerni, later corrupted as Érainn.