Hello, it seems most texts in my local library (and even the suggested reads on this subreddit) deal with Ireland post-Norman invasion so I'm going to have to commit to purchasing some books. I would appreciate any suggestions on books and authors that detail the culture and society of Ireland before English rulers started asserting power over the island.
My areas of interest are pretty specialised, but I can recommend:
Early Irish Farming, Fergus Kelly
A Guide to Early Irish Law, also Fergus Kelly
Hospitality in Medieval Ireland, 900-1500, Catherine O'Sullivan (more relevant than the dates make it sound)
And I haven't yet read, but hear good things about Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200 by Daibhi Ó Croinin.
I only just came across this post now. Sorry if it is late. There was a TV series made by RTE [Irish Television] and sponsored by PBS in the states about 10 years ago which did an excellent job at interviewing Irish archeologists, pre-historians and medieval historians on the topic you ask about. It's called In Search of Ancient Ireland. There is a book to the series of the same title. The series was made completely in Ireland. I checked and it's available on Amazon.
The main interviewees are Donnchadh Ó Corráin, medieval historian and philologist, John Waddell, head of archaeology at Galway [National University Galway], Barry Raftery head of archaeology at UCD [University College Dublin], Fergus Kelly expert on Brehon Law . It begins with the neolithic period, the various influences on ancient Ireland prior to Christianity and then continues to the Anglo -Norman invasion. It would make a good scholarly starting point for looking into Ireland pre Anglo-Norman invasion.