Aengus Og

Celtic god od love, son of the Dagda. Aengus Og played a gold harp with silver strings.

Bard

A musician, historian and counsellor much respected in medieval Ireland. Many played the harp.

Bogwood

Wood, mainly willow, which has been covered in a peat bog and preserved. Bogwood was used to make the sound box of early Irish harps and was greatly prized in the 19th century for furniture and ornaments.

Brehon

A legal practitioner in medieval Ireland

Clarsach

A type of harp mainly played in Ireland and Scotland, the Clarsach has strings of brass, steel or silver differing from the gut strung harps of Europe.

Cruit

An early quadrangular stringed instrument similar to a lyre, believed to be the forerunner of the triangular framed harp.

Dagda, The

The Dagda "the Good God" is an early Irish god mentioned in the Lebor Gabala or The Book of Invasions. He possesses a magic harp.

Erin go Bragh

Gaelic slogan of the Irish Republican Movement meaning "Ireland Forever"

Eire

Ireland. Also the name of the allegorical figure used in art to symbolise Ireland. This is usually a female figure surrounded with Irish symbols such as the harp, the shamrock and the wolfhound.

Fionn Cycle

An Irish mythological cycle detailing the exploits of the hero Fionn MacCumhail (Finn MacCool).

Formorians

One of the invading races in the Lebor Gabala, a gigantic and monstrous people.

Guinness

An Irish stout first produced by Arthur Guinness in the18th century. Guinness was invented through experimentation in the brewing of Porter, a dark ale popular with the 18th century working class. Guinness is the world's most popular stout and features a harp on the label.

Harp

A chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck; the strings stretched between the neck and the soundbox are plucked with the fingers

Harp Lager

An Irish lager that bears the name and the symbol of the harp on the label.

Heraldry

The art of creating, recording and interpreting coats of arms.

John Derricke

A 16th century English writer who satirised Ireland in his book Image of Ireland.

Lebor Gabala

This book, also known as The Book of Invasions, is an Irish mythological cycle detailing the the manner in which Ireland came to be peopled, by telling of the waves of invasion by various races.

Lugh Samildanach

An early King of the Tuatha de Dannan (Irish Fairies) featured in the Lebor Gabala.

Monasterboice

The church where the beautiful carved Monasterboice cross is situated.

Moytura

A battle featured in the Lebor Gabala where the Dagda's harp is captured by the enemy and the Dagda retrieves it under strange circumstances.

Tuatha de Dannan

A race of fairy-like people featured in the Lebor Gabala.

Turlough O'Carolan

Popular 18th century blind harper.

Ulster Cycle

An Irish mythological cycle detailing the theft of the Bull of Ulster and the inevitably horrible consequences.

Winjnbergen Roll

A 13th century roll of arms in which the Arms of Ireland first appear as a golden harp on a blue ground.

Woodcut

A method of book illustration. A drawing is transferred onto a wood block and the spaces between the lines of the drawing are carved away to leave the lines in relief. the block is then inked and pressed onto paper. This method is able to render a large number of identical copies.