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400 BC - 100 BC The Celts were to stand out in history due to their particular way of life, their political organisation, and their appearance and were among the 4 great Peoples of the then known World, which also included the Scythians, the Persians, and the Libyans.

390 BC Celtic Gauls who had come from the trans - Alpine region and through the Central Alpine pass from Switzerland and Southern Germany invaded the north of Italy, where they sacked Rome and settled in the Upper Po Valley and overthrew the Etruscans whose civilisation was already on its way out. First to arrive where the Insubres who set up at Mediolanum - Milan - and after them 4 more tribes followed who settled in Lombardy, and the Boii Sept and the Lingones Sept came later on settling into Emilia, and then the Senones Sept who settled along the Adriatic coast in Umbria. All of these Celts brought their families and their possessions with them, and warrior bands then raided south reaching Apulia and Sicily and the Romans called the invaders the Galli - Gallic Cis. Among these the Gacsati - (Spearmen) Celts from France in Gaul were the ones who raided Rome, which they eventually captured and they settled there south of the River Po and it would be from these tribes later on from whom the Laigin Celts mainly in the Leinster Province in Erinn - Ireland were to originate.

387 BC The Celts on the Continent who were then in control of Rome began to speak Latin just as the Teutonic Scandinavian Goths were to make their appearance also in recorded history.

At this time also at Eamhain Macha - Armagh in the Ulster Province, which was the original Navan Fort of the Gaelic Milesian Irian Kings of the Ulaid and their Red Branch Knights were being formed in the north - east of Erinn - Ireland, which would eventually see Ulster become the most predominant Province there and culminate finally in the archetype of the great Irish warriors, Cuchulainn, and then lose their dominant position to the Connacht Province in the west.

In the future in Christian times the Irish monks were all to be kinsmen who were to be connected originally to each of the Tuaths - Family regions - in their respective territories as they were to continue to carry on in the same traditions after the influence of the Christian Catholic - Universal Faith - came to the Irish Celtic Families. This strong individual Family connection to the land and to the monasteries of the Tuaths in their own respective territories after the Anglo - Norman - English Invasion was one thing that the English would not be able to grasp in their minds, this was especially so when they were to try desperately to confiscate all of the territories and dissolve the Irish Catholic Celtic Church and take over their land also in the 16th Century AD. Because of this strong connection, Henry V111 at first, and later on his young son who was influenced by his mentors, could not comprehend this, and especially his daughter, Elizabeth 1st, who on her own, was to create 6 rebellions in Ireland. As their prior Celtic religion was the exclusive right of the Druids - priests they always taught them that their souls were immortal and after death they passed on from one body to another and this always gave the Celts their great courage as they had no fear of death. The Druids of Ireland were originally to be set up at Uisnech in the west of the Midlands - Mide - Meath - Northern Leinster and also there at Tara in the north - east until the advent of Christianity, where they all had their own attendants and were held in great respect and the Catholic Irish monks from each of the individual Tuaths were to inherit their traditional connection to the Septs they individually represented. Tracing all the Celtic Clanns of Ireland back to 12.Magog, and in the Christian era therefore to 1.Adam, meant that there was proof of their long time connection to the land, which was the main holding right to their Tuath - Family regions, as each Tuath usually occupied territory that encompassed an area of approximately 400 square miles or 20 miles x 20 miles. It was the Ollamh’s duty to regularly visit all of the Tuathas and their Septs and place the information gained in the Kings Book - Saltair of Tara, while each of the individual Chiefs of the Tuathas - Family regions also retained their own Sheanchaidhe - pronounced as Shanachy - who were the historians for this purpose and these records were checked against the records in the Saltair of Tara during the 3 year Assemblies - Feasts of Tara.

369 - 368 BC During this period many Celts journeyed to the south - east serving as mercenaries in the Peloponnese but prior to this there had already been considerable Celtic migration into the Balkans well before this date and there were Celtic mercenaries from Gaul in the army of Syracuse.

335 BC Alexander the Great while in Bulgaria received a deputation of Celts from the Lower Danube who were from the Adriatic.

325 - 323 BC During this period in time the Greeks called both islands of Ireland and Albion - Briton, the Pretanic Islands, and the Priteni were the Celtic names given to the Scythian inhabitants but later Caesar knew them as the Prydain - Welsh (Brittani.)

319 BC 70.Niadh "Seaghaiman" was the Heberian 83rd King of Tara - Erinn, who was the son of 69.Adhamhra - Adhamair "Foltchaoin" the previous 78th King of Tara - Erinn, descended from 37.Heber "Fionn," who was to rule for 7 years until he too was slain by his successor and in his time the wild deer were usually driven home with the cows and milked every day.

300 BC Fiachadh the King of Tara - Erinn introduced the Fianna Eirinn - Fenian Warriors - both male and female, to protect Erinn - Ireland against outside invaders, and they were composed of 3 regiments containing 3,000 warriors in times of peace, which would be increased in times of trouble. During the 6 months of Winter they would be quartered among the population of Ireland but in the Summer they survived by personally hunting and fishing while living in the woods and open fields to toughen up. They had to be outstanding athletes having to succeed at the most stringent tests as to their physical abilities, and were also poets and warriors of culture and they took an oath not to avenge any of their kin or be avenged by them, they were also never to refuse hospitality to anyone, never to turn their back during a battle, never to insult women, and if they were men they were not allowed to accept a dowry with their wives.

+On to 300 BC - 200 BC

Situated on the western bank of the Hunter River, midway between Muswellbrook & Denman the doorway to the Heart of Australia's "Horse Capital" in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales., Australia.

John & Sue Markham

RAINBOW FARMS 603 Roxburgh Road., Muswellbrook., 2333.

02 65 479 100 - Fax: 02 65 479 102 E - Mail: www.rainbowfarms@bigpond.com