ABSTRACT
Ireland is relatively unique in the fact that it can trace its myths and legends through the ages, due to a very strong written and oral culture that survived side by side for millennia. Through these myths, a vibrant and storied sense of place was cultivated, and these stories allowed it to survive well into the modern-day. As a result, these stories were reflected in the landscape and affected how people engaged with it. This chapter covers how this sense of place was cultivated from the earliest evidence of the demarcation of tribal boundaries (in the form of monolithic stones known as Ogham stones) to the composition and dissemination of place-name lore in the medieval ages. The chapter also covers the people who transmitted this traditional knowledge from the ancient poet, right up to the modern storyteller. It moves on to discuss how these legends are reflected in the landscape and how this traditional knowledge can be used to bring the tangible and intangible heritage to life for people outside of the culture looking to get in touch with Ireland’s past, as well as how the Irish language is instrumental in interpreting this history and how it can be implemented for tourism.
