This monograph is the result of a long-standing interest in the cultures of early peoples, which has focussed on the evidence of the ‘Celtic’ peoples of the British Isles. As a student at the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow I became convinced that it was only by understanding the key sources that a firm basis would be produced which would lead to the history of Ireland and Scotland being placed on solid ground. As the Irish chronicles constitute such a major source I have been fortunate in having the opportunity to analyse them over such a long period, over my postgraduate and post-doctoral studies. This research has been facilitated by an Arts and Humanities Research Board scholarship, and a John O'Donovan scholarship at the School of Celtic Studies at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (and therefore by the people of the UK and the Republic of Ireland), as well as by my parents.

In producing this work, there are many people to whom I am very grateful; in particular Dauvit Broun, for his exemplary supervision in the earlier stages of this research, as well as for his encouragement and comments on numerous drafts of chapters over the years. Without these, I would have fallen into a number of traps, and would not have worked through alternatives. The suggestions of Thomas Clancy and Colmán Etchingham led to a substantial rethink of the presentation of this material, and to a greater consideration of how potential wider themes could be addressed.