Abstract
This paper examines and describes the traditional symbols and motifs of Celtic Art and discusses how they were so important in Celtic societies that they survived the conversion to Christianity. These Celtic symbols and motifs can also be found in early Christian Art. This paper also includes illustrations of various Celtic artwork.

From the Paper
"Often in illuminated manuscripts one finds a Celtic characteristic of placing red dots around initials that reminiscent of the stippling on metalwork . And a textual tradition that is popular even today, known as diminuendo, in which the first letter of a text is large and the rest diminish in size. Illuminated manuscripts kept not only imagery of the Celts but the superstitions in some cases as well. Many illuminated manuscripts were thought to have special powers, and were often used for "talismanic purposes " including healing and hope for victory in battles. Thus the societies of the Celts and Christians were not only blended in art but in religion and culture as well. Keeping their superstitions and respect for nature, the Celts adopted certain aspects and rituals of Christianity. And Christianity in return adopted many Celtic customs and beliefs."

Tags:art history, celtic art, christian art, symbols motifs gospel

Abstract
The paper explores the research on the insular Celtic and proto-Celtic linguistics and finds that there are two subgroups of the insular Celtic language, Goidelic and Brittonic. The paper discusses how the Brittonic insular Celtic includes Welsh, Breton and Cornish and it is believed that it may even contain the language of the Picts, and Goidelic and Brittonic are referred to a 'Q-Celtic' and 'P-Celtic' upon the basis of the respective treatment of the PIE labiovelars. This study also examines the proto-Goidelic language which is the Irish language's ancestor from prehistoric times and which was spoken in Ireland prior to the advent of the Christian era.

Outline:
Introduction
Two Branches of Celtic Language
From PIE to Celtic
Two Branches of Insular Celtic
Requirements for Proper Subclassification of Languages
Common Special Imperfect Tense Shared by British and Goidelic
Developments in Insular Celtic Languages
Proto-Gaelic
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper
"The Celts were ancient people in Europe who spoke the Celtic languages forming a branch of the European languages including other languages which are unknown but which have been associated with Celtic cultural traits in archaeological evidence. Celtic is used in contemporary times to describe the languages and cultures of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and the French region of Brittany however the Celtic language family includes the Gaelic languages of Scottish, Irish and Manx and the Brythonic languages of Welsh, Breton and Cornish.
"The Celtic language family is said to be a branch of the larger Indo-European language and it has been hypothesized that the Celtic prototype language may have derived from the Pontic-Caspian steppes. By 600 BC the Celts had split into several groups of languages and had spread across Central Europe as well as Ireland and Britain and the Iberian Peninsula. The Celtic language is believed to have spread to Britain and Iberia during the first half of the first millennium and that this language developed over the centuries into the Celtiberian, Goidelic and Brythonic languages. There is a debate as to whether the Goidelic and Brythonic descend from a common Insular-Celtic language or if instead these languages are reflective of two waves of separate migration."

Tags:Goidelic, Brittonic, Ireland, PIE, labiovelars

Abstract
This paper focuses on the artwork, writings and symbols most commonly associated with the Christianity that evolved in Celtic culture. Also, the paper explains that although Christianity was distinctly different from the pagan beliefs of pre-Christian Ireland, many of its concepts have roots in pagan spirituality. The author states that Celtic artwork in general is not only an expression of faith but also a representation of a basic teaching of Celtic spirituality, which is that all things are connected and have an element of the divine. The paper goes on to note that the Incarnation of Christ is also part of Celtic spirituality and its presence is seen in all elements of Irish Christianity, from the artwork to the sculptures, from the writings to the books.

From the Paper
"To understand the symbolism of Celtic Christianity, one must first understand its beginnings. It was believed to have spread among the people of the British Isles during the Middle Ages and it was during this time that the theologian Pelagius and his religious ideals came into competition with that of St. Augustine, who was considered the father of Latin Christianity. Palagius had controversial views about the nature of human sin and evil, believing that "man could overcome evil by his own strength and his own will", while St. Augustine believed that temptation could not be overcome simply by the will of man, but only through a man's dedication to the Church (Herm 259). Despite St. Augustine's theological victory over the Palagians the Celtic traditions were able to survive for generations (Squire 402). Despite the introduction of Roman Christianity, Celtic beliefs and traditions would remain in the Celtic British Isles and merge with the newly found faith, creating new beliefs along with the old, with many remnants of Palagius' theology found in the Celtic faith. One of the main foundations of Celtic spirituality is the coming of Christ incarnated as a man, which unified all the people to respond to God's call and eventually experience salvation. Only by God becoming flesh could man's inadequacy be overcome. The idea of incarnation therefore became extremely important to the early Christians of Ireland, because it represented the power of the deity to overcome the flesh (Herm 259-273)."

Tags:religion, spiritual, Irish

Abstract
This paper examines how the Celtic culture is one of Europe's oldest, surviving for thousands of years through several foreign invasions and through settlement in some of Europe's most inhospitable regions. It looks at how even today, Celtic culture thrives in pockets of Wales, Scotland and Ireland, where people continue to speak Celtic-based languages such as Gaelic and Welsh, and honor the free-spirited warrior history of the Celts. Because of the longevity of the Celtic culture, this paper attempts to determine whether it can be considered the most influential culture in European history.

Outline:
The Influence of the Celts
Arguments Against the Celts
The Celts Were not Europe's Most Influential Culture

From the Paper
"There is an argument to be made that the Celts are one of the most resilient cultures in European history. Celtic history stretches back as far as 1,200 B.C., and the Celts, who were essentially a group of loosely affiliated tribes who spoke similar languages and practiced similar customs, once saw their territory stretch from the rocky Atlantic cliffs of Ireland and England to the Black Sea in Eastern Europe (O'Neill). It was a territory one might more readily associate with the Roman Empire, which certainly had a significant influence over European history and development. "

Tags:Christianity, wales, scotland, ireland, warrior

Abstract
Celtic paganism is often used to explain "inexplicable" elements in the Grail legend. However, other explanations are also possible. The paper demonstrates this by showing how some "inexplicable" facets of the Grail legend that are usually ascribed to Celtic paganism may have their origin elsewhere, including in Christianity, secular symbolism, Bede's "Life of Saint Cuthbert" and the Lives of St. Kentigern," and/or medieval history and geography. It also examines whether the historical, geographical and hagiographical sources were used consciously or unconsciously. The paper concludes that, when faced with "inexplicable" elements in a Grail legend, scholars are often too quick to find connections, often very tenuous ones, to Celtic paganism.

From the Paper
"How are these narratives connected chronologically? And are the similarities deliberate? In their opening plot, these romantic and hagiographical stories are almost perfect Campbellian hero quests, so I think there may have been some pre-existing correlation between the early or oral versions of Peredur and the hagiographies. Yet the details of the Romances are so much like the saints' lives that I believe there is clearly some deliberate imitation. I will now attempt to untangle the way in which these books influenced on another. Bede's Life is based on the anonymous Life, which comes from the tradition that developed in Lindesfarne during or soon after Cuthbert's life. Bede wrote the Prose Life at the end of the 7th century and it influenced the writers of the Lives of Kentigern. The two Lives of Saint Kentigern were compiled in the 12th century, and the author of the fragmentary Life mentions his familiarity with the story of Cuthbert."

Tags:chretien, round, table

Abstract
This paper explains that, at the height of their domination in Europe, the Celtics, who were a warrior race in the 9th century B.C.E. that started on the island of Ireland, spread their religion across the British Isles to Turkey; however, they finally were conquered by the Romans and the Germanic tribes. The author points out that Druidism was passed down through an oral tradition typically kept by the bards and the ancient Druids; much of the Druids traditions are still kept because they were later recorded in medieval manuscripts and in oral tradition, folk lore and ritual. The paper concludes that, in the modern world, the Druids are still strong as a cultural fascination and several religious groups have been formed such as the British Druid Order and the Reformed Druids of North America.

Table of Contents
Celtic Paganism: A History
Celtic Traditions and Religions
Druidism and their Different Occupations
Influence of Christianity of the Druids
The Religious Beliefs of the Druids
Devices Used by the Druids
Druid Celebrations and Seasonal Celebrations
The Modern Druidic Movement

From the Paper
"The Druids are known for having many celebrations and ceremonies throughout the year. Some of these celebrations are religious others commemorate special events within their history. The Druids celebrate a series of fire-festivals on the first of each of four months. These festivals would start at sunset and last for three days. When these ceremonies start, great bonfires are built on the hilltops and cattle would be driven between the two great bonfires to assure them fertility. Couples hoping to be married would jump over the bonfire and run between them to encourage fertility as well. These festivities all have special significance within the culture of the Druids. The first is the Samhain, which means the end of the warm season. It takes place on November 1st which marks the combined feast of the dead and the new years day celebration on the Celtic calendar. This is the time when the veil between our reality and the reality of the otherworld can be easily penetrated. Thus, communication with those who have past beyond the veil is possible and many ceremonies attempt to communicate with the dead during this festival. Later the Christians would adopt the fire festival as the All Soul's Eve, and later it would become the secular holiday Halloween."

Tags:bards, ovates, ceremonies, oral, nature

Abstract
This paper presents an overview of ancient Celtic culture, focusing on their religion and the role of the fertility god known as Bres. First, the paper describes the Celts, where they lived and their way of life which centered on agriculture and war. The paper then related the story of Bres as a major god who was virile and connected with fertility. Additionally, the paper points out the mythological lore surrounding the life of Bres, and particularly his relationship with Brigid his wife and its importance and influence on many other Celtic/Irish myths. The paper concludes by stating that Bres, and his wife Brigid, were very powerful fertility deities at a time in the ancient past when Ireland was devoid of fertile ground for planting crops.

From the Paper
"Exactly how Bres became the king of the Tuatha De Danann is not clear, but according to prevailing Celtic/Irish mythology, a former king known as Nuada "lost his hand in the first Battle of Magh Tuireadh" (Lindemans, Internet) and was quickly deemed as unfit to rule as king, one reason being his addiction to hard drink. Although Bres' father Elatha was the ruler of the Fomorians, there appears to have been some kind of tension between the Fomorians and the Tuatha De Danann; nonetheless, in an act of "reconciliation, the Tuatha De decided to name Bres as their king" and allowed him to marry Brigid, one of the most important fertility goddesses in Celtic/Irish mythology and folklore (Lindemans, Internet).
"As previously mentioned, Bres turned out to be a very brutal and untrustworthy king for his people. As a ruler, Bres was "tyrannical. . . raised taxes to a near unbearable level" (Lindemans, Internet) and forced many of the Tuatha De Danann to be his personal slaves, "working in his house as unpaid laborers and in the fields from sun-up to sundown" "

Tags:ancient Ireland, warrior gods, Tuatha De Danann, Irish mythology

Abstract
This paper briefly addresses the similarities of the Breton, Cornish, and Welsh cultures in the areas of language and myths, particularly the dominance of the sea in these cultures' mythologies. They are all Celtic cultures, which makes it easier to draw parallels, particularly as regards linguistic similarities.

Abstract
This paper is a heterodox assessment on the impact of artificially low interest rates by the European Central Bank (ECB) on the Irish behavioral microeconomic decision-making process of individual time preferences within the Austrian-school capital-based macroeconomic business cycle. Using secondary research, the author focuses on empirical evidence showing the impact of the ECB on the Irish property and equity bubble. The paper argues that simplification of a discounted utility model would have a greater impact on understanding the Irish economy because, despite the greatest expertise in the world, humans are still prone to the curse of too much knowledge and cognitive dissonance. The paper includes many figures and an extensive appendix.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Literature Review
Method
Description and Discussion
Behavioral Microeconomics
Austrian School of Macroeconomics Business Cycle
Conclusions
Appendix Index:Quantitative Economic Data and Statistics of Ireland
Appendix A: Referenced in Project
Appendix B: Economic Output andGrowth
Appendix C: Balance of Payments, International Trade & Comparisons
Appendix D: Production & Construction Industries
Appendix E: Earnings & Competitiveness & Labor Force
Appendix F: Consumption & Debt

From the Paper
"A temporal point outside the frontier was created. This would allow resources be allocated for massive investment and consumption. The country was dangerously overheating. Unemployment was at an extreme minimum and hours worked surged. Imports temporarily increased to satisfy scarcities, but more importantly the gap between the twp equilibriums of saving and investing was facilitated by extreme levels of fractional reserve banking ratios as money flowed in from Europe. Ireland's external debt soared to almost E2 Trillion (including IFSC International Financial Sector)."

Tags:intertemporal recapitalizations, cognitive dissonance, people, discounted utility model

Abstract
This paper explores the reasons for Ireland's flourishing economy and why it has been able to turn its once floundering economy into a prosperous and successful one. The paper describes the geographic, political, and cultural aspects that have contributed to this success and looks at the factors that make the country attractive to large, foreign, high-tech industries. Finally, the paper assesses Ireland's present and future economic outlook and concludes that, while Ireland is experiencing some of the pains of rapid and global growth, it remains an outstanding location for business investment.

From the Paper
"Ireland as often been called the Celtic Tiger over the past decade, and indeed, its economic growth has brought it, in record time, from a third-world status to the most global nation in the world, according to recent reports. It has done this by applying energy and creativity to enticing foreign investment to form a vibrant industrial base. Moreover, it has attracted relatively clean industries, high-tech primarily, which have also put it in an excellent position to begin its current initiative in attracting world-class scientists to work and make available their discoveries for development in Ireland. In addition to the hospitable business climate, the geography and climate of the nation are also attractive. In addition, it has relatively few of the problems associated with industrial societies, although it is beginning to see some negative effects, in addition to the numerous positive ones, from its full entry into the European Union."

Tags:republic, european, eu, science, foundation, globalized, nation, roman, catholic, church