Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland () was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late Prehistory of Ireland, prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Norman invasi ...

, a ''bruiden'' () was a building offering shelter, drink and food, often translated as "

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...

", "banqueting hall" or "

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

." A description in The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig (c. AD 800) describes one ''bruiden'': "There were seven doors in each hall, seven roads through it, and seven fireplaces therein. There were seven cauldrons, with an ox and a salted pig in each. The person, who came that way would thrust the fleshfork into the cauldron, and whatever he obtained with the first thrust he ate, and if he did not obtain anything with the first thrust he ate nothing." The host (''brugaid'') was required to show "welcome to all" and "refusal to none."

List

According to The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig, there were five or six major ''bruidne'' in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

: *Bruiden Dá Derga (Berga), located in the kingdom of Cualu; usually placed on the

River Dodder The River Dodder () is one of the three main rivers in Dublin, Ireland, the others being the River Liffey, Liffey, of which the Dodder is the largest tributary, and the River Tolka, Tolka. Course and system The Dodder rises on the northern s ...

or at Stackallen, County Meath. Featured in the famous poem ''

Togail Bruidne Dá Derga ''Togail Bruidne Dá Derga'' (''The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel'') is an Irish tale belonging to the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It survives in three Old Irish, Old and Middle Irish recensions, it is part of the Lebor na hUidre, Book ...

'' (The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel) *Bruiden Forgaill Manaich, located at Rathmooney, near to

Lusk, County Dublin Lusk () is a town in County Dublin, Ireland. Sometimes described as a village, Lusk is located about north of Dublin city centre. Lusk is in a townland and civil parish of the same name, in the barony of Balrothery East. As of the 2022 census ...

. *Bruiden Dá Réo (Bruiden Mic Cecht Da Réo, Dareo, Bruiden dá Ger), located in West Bréifne (County Leitrim) *Bruiden Dá Choca (Coga), at Breenmore Hill (Bryanmore), near Athlone ("in a district which belongs to Meave and Ailill"); featured in the story of ''Togail Bruidne Da Chocae'' (The Destruction of Da Choca's Hostel) *Bruiden Dá Thó, in

Laigin The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinste ...

, believed to lie in the south of

County Carlow County Carlow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by area, second smallest and t ...

(possibly Ballyknockcrumpin) However,

Fled Bricrenn ''Fled Bricrenn'' (Old Irish "Bricriu's Feast") is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Bricriu, an inveterate troublemaker, invites the nobles of the Ulaid to a feast at his new ''bruiden'' (hostel, banquet hall) at Dún Rudraige ( ...

(8th century) mentions the ''briuga'' Bricriu Nemthenga ("Poison-tongue"). Bruiden Blai Brugad or Bruiden Brúadaig is another, located in

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

, hosted by Blai. Bruiden of Moda Minadhmadadh is another. The idea of having six ''bruidne'' may have been chosen to mirror the six "

cities of refuge The cities of refuge ( ''‘ārê ha-miqlāṭ'') were six Levitical towns in the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah in which the perpetrators of accidental manslaughter could claim the right of asylum. Maimonides, invoking talmudic ...

" in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

Sean's Bar Sean's Bar is a pub in Athlone, Ireland, notable for its reputed establishment in AD 900, and claim to being the oldest extant bar in Ireland. However, architectural and archaeological records, including the Record of Monuments and Places and the ...

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midland Region, Ir ...

is located in a building parts of which have been dated to c. AD 900, with wattle and wicker walls. Located near a crossing-point on the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...

, it claims to be Ireland's oldest pub and may be the site of an ancient ''bruiden''.

References

{{reflist Ancient Ireland

List

See also

References