Celtic Civilisation

Welcome to Celtic Civilisation at University of Galway

Celtic Civilisation examines the legacy of the Celts in the world, from the earliest times right down to the modern period.

In this degree programme, we examine the formation of the peoples and nations of Ireland, Northern and Western Britain and France during the early Middle Ages, and consider the various representations of Celts in western Europe from the early-modern period until today.

In short, Celtic Civilisation examines the history, archaeology, languages, literatures, mythologies and cultures of these peoples through the centuries.

Descriptions of what is studied in each year, along with details of the modules, lecture timetables and departmental policies for the current academic year are available at the following links:

For modules prefixed by SG1---, see the First Year Booklet, by SG2--- see Second Year Booklet, etc. You may download and print a copy of the Assignment Submission Declaration which must be used when submitting a printed copy of an assignment here.

Visiting students (Erasmus+/Study Abroad) who are interested in studying with us during their time in Galway are encouraged to visit this page where they will find information on all modules available to visiting students each semester.

Why study Celtic Civilisation?

This subject provides a comprehensive insight into the reality behind popular conceptions and misconceptions of the Celts in their ancient, medieval, and modern incarnations. ‌By studying this subject, you will be encouraged to view Celtic literature and culture in a new light, and to appreciate the legacy of the Celts, as evidenced in the literatures, languages, beliefs, customs and archaeology of Europe.

Studying Celtic Civilisation will develop your research, analytical, critical, and communication skills, and enhance your ability to present material clearly and effectively. We offer Celtic Civilisation at undergraduate level as part a number of degree programmes in Arts.

Visit the University of Galway's Courses Page for information on how to apply and to review the programme entry requirements.

What do our students say?

Michaela Reidy, BA (Creative Writing, Celtic Civilisation & English)

"As a Creative Writing student, Celtic Civilisation provided me with an endless source of inspiration, as well as skills in many valuable areas. The course allows students to deepen their knowledge in not just historical fact, but also folklore, mythology, and literature. I was given the opportunity to explore a rich body of poetry and prose, including voyage tales, love poems and heroic epics, and to study the early history of the Celts, from weapons and warfare to religion and spirituality. There is a perfect blend of topics, and students are given ample opportunity to choose between them and focus on those they are most interested in. Celtic Civilisation students also have the option to dip into other departments and take modules in Classics and Archaeology. They can thus pair their knowledge of Celticism with that of Latin, Ancient Greek Theatre, Medieval Castles, and more. This allowed my classmates and I to further personalise our academic journeys and emerge with a wealth of knowledge on various elements of the ancient world.

The course improved my writing immensely, as much of the assessments are in essay form. It also contributed greatly to my research skills and my ability to engage in academic reading. The classes were dynamic, engaging, and highly rewarding, even when held online during 2020/2021. I would recommend Celtic Civilisation to anyone with an interest in the ancient past, a passion for storytelling, or dreams of pursuing fields such as history, archaeology, language and literature."

Aoife Greene, BA International (Celtic Civilisation & History)

"I studied Celtic Civilisation with History, graduating in 2024. Going into the programme, my knowledge of the ‘Celts’ was limited to Junior Cert study, a casual interest in Irish mythology, and the folkloric stereotypes I grew up hearing about. Studying Celtic Civilisation at the University of Galway gave me a much deeper understanding of the Celtic world, its place in history and how the very concept of ‘Celtic’ was formed and transformed over the centuries. A varied selection of modules allowed me to tailor my studies to my interests, emphasising early Irish literature and language. As a native Irish speaker, the opportunity to study Old Irish was a thrilling challenge which left me with a renewed respect for our mother tongue and a budding interest in linguistics in general. Interdepartmental links also allowed me to take a number of Classics modules, which greatly enriched my experience of studying ancient literature and the world in which it was written."

"No matter the circumstances during my years at the University of Galway, the Celtic Civilisation faculty were invariably supportive and empathetic. They are genuinely good people who possess a passion for their chosen specialisms which is simply infectious. The department-wide focus on research and writing based assessments, as opposed to typical timed examinations, has left me with a strong foundation of practical academic experience which is invaluable to someone who aspires to a postgraduate career. I have no doubt that I would like to continue in this field, whether it is in an academic capacity or in a more practical environment."

Arthur O'Brien, BA (Celtic Civilisation & History)

"I completed my undergraduate degree in 2021. My chosen subjects were History and Celtic Civilisation, of which Celtic Civilisation was my favourite! Celtic Civilisation is a fantastic discipline to choose if you have an interest in the study of History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Literature, Folklore, Language among others. The wide scope of lecture topics available ensures that there is something for everyone. The teaching staff all have different areas of expertise and are incredibly helpful with any issues you may have due to the smaller size of the discipline.

Studying Celtic Civilisation allowed me to develop skills related to many disciplines. I was able to study Latin through Classics as well as take many Archaeology modules. My studies focused on the Medieval and Ancient world of the Celts, although some modules also focused periods as recent as the 19^th century. This discipline allowed me to understand the word Celtic and its meaning and understand a huge amount of the history and culture of the Celtic people. With this degree, I plan to further my studies and keep my focus on Medieval history and the Celts."

Francis Lawrence, BA (Creative Writing with Celtic Civilisation)

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Celtic Civilisation programme. Overall, it provided me with a vast understanding of the history of Celtic cultures and just how broad these peoples and their languages were. I loved the small size of the Celtic Civ classes. Other subjects could have almost a hundred students in a lecture hall, which can be daunting. In my Celtic modules, there was ample opportunity to discuss what we were learning and get the lecturers thoughts and book recommendations on the content. It also meant we could bring our own personal research to the room for a wider conversation. The courses content created space for the study of history, linguistics, archaeology and critical theories just to name a few. Due to the small classes all of our lecturers knew us by name which added a very homely feeling to the department. I had a lot of romantic fluff (for lack of a better word) surrounding the Celts. The course gave me a solid grounding in the literature and legal texts that have come down to us from their time. As a creative writing student, I loved reading The Táin and Acallam na Senórach because it gave me a greater scope of our literary traditions.

Celtic Civilisation was actually an accidental pick for me – it fitted my timetable nicely for first year but I had no intention for keeping it up. By the end of the year it was my favourite subject. Each assessment had a queer lens which really stimulated my own personal interests and made exam season a lot more fun. Through an overlay of the myths, literature and law texts we were slowly piecing together the varied gender roles of Ireland’s Celtic past. I took the optional modules for Latin and Medieval Irish Language which tied in nicely with my own background in modern Irish literature and I found it full of linguistic surprises and fascinating developments."

Honor Faughnan, BA (Drama, Celtic Civilisation & Classics)

"I applied to study Arts at the University of Galway the January before my Leaving Certificate exams, but it was not until Orientation the following September that I decided to study Celtic Civilisation after attending a taster lecture on the early history of the Celts by Dr Graham Isaac. What distinguishes Celtic Civilisation from other subjects is that it gives students the tools to navigate a vast swathe of time and space, from Bronze Age archaeology to modern Celtic sociolinguistics and language policy, and is completely interdisciplinary, exposing students to perspectives from history, linguistics, archaeology, folklore, mythology.

It is also examined almost entirely by essay, allowing students to focus on their own research interests, and involves lots of small-group teaching and class discussion. For me, having the opportunity to take beginner’s Old Irish and a course on historical linguistics was fantastic, but students can also take modules in medieval Irish literature and society, the Welsh origins of Arthurian literature, and the concept of Celtic identity in the modern world, among others.

Galway has long been a centre of excellence for Celtic Studies, but if asked in a interview how Celtic Civilisation equips students with the skills to succeed professionally, I would say that it gets you to interrogate all kinds of evidence, some it very tenuous and abstruse, with the result that you can expect to develop excellent analytical skills and become someone who can research and communicate new and conceptually difficult ideas in a rapidly changing work environment."

Jacopo Allio, BA (Archaeology & Celtic Civilisation)

"As a native of Ticino, the only predominantly Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, I have a strong appreciation for the complex relationship between language, local customs and beliefs - but what fascinates me the most is how these characteristics shape the identity of a society and the way in which societies evolve. Studying Celtic Civilisation at this university has been very enlightening in this sense.

The modules of Celtic Civilisation give the student the opportunity to gain a great knowledge of the ‘Celts’ by exploring disparate aspects of culture and society in the Celtic-speaking world. For example, we discovered how making connections between languages and reconstructing those from which they originate offers us a fascinating insight into how Celtic societies moved and who they interacted with. We also engaged with the impressive literary traditions of medieval Ireland and Wales, discussing, among other aspects, why poetry was so important that one single poem could end the reign of a king.

The Celtic Civilization programme has a wide range of modules on offer and is therefore diverse enough to cater for a great variety of interests. But most importantly, this diversity allowed me to draw on a vast range of evidence to develop and enhance my analytical skills. I can now undertake linguistic, literary, toponymic, historical, and archaeological analysis and I can compare and contrast the techniques involved to develop more accurate and insightful conclusions about former and present societies. These skills are relevant in my current Master’s in Cultural Heritage Studies at University College London (UCL). I am confident that they will also be valuable to future employers when I begin a career in Heritage, which is principally concerned with critically evaluating legacies of the past."