ABSTRACT
SnwknU! of hi,tory approaching m., lrubject 0( early medieval I",WId for lhe firs t lun" wually come to Wie r in the quagmire of names th>.t !aces them. almost from dlC "art, The =min,<;ly cndk", "cneolo~i ... , ~nd trihal hi,torie., &retching;n dote from the ,ixth ""ntlit}' down to the jixlecnd" may 00 a boon to m., hl'''''rian, but they are the bane of every student', life, Add"'" to Ihis lntimidati,'l:! onOln""'i.r; barrkr are the nO I",,, daunlintl lri>;h annals containing an equally bewildering litany 0( 'J:U'''-'' and dateo, rhose 'Tribe. aM king. in all direction" with their far and near connection" that """'Ie b~lIaoc,-," poked fun at, Chalknflcd to make """"" of thi. delirillm of information, Sludent. often fed rrmch ~, they would if ~sked to piece togem.,r the course of twenticlh-rentury Irish history using onfy the evldtnCt of lhe telephone din:."<-wry lUId the death-<:oIull'lm of the national and provincl<ll newspapers.
