The Ulster Cycle with Prof. Ruairí Ó hUiginn

This week Prof. Ruairí Ó hUiginn (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies) gives us a masterclass on the Ulster Cycle and all the elements and stories that are part of it, including its most famous tale, Táin Bó Cuailgne (the Cattle Raid of Cooley). Known for its dramatic and complicated protagonists Fergus mac Roich, Cú Chulainn and Queen Medb, Prof. Ó hUiginn explains how this literature is not a monolith and has been added to and expanded for many centuries. He describes how many of these stories may have originally been cautionary tales condemning warfare (and women!) and that they can be valuable sources for the medieval historian.

Suggested reading:

Ó hUiginn, Ruairí, Marriage, Law and Tochmarc Emire (Cambridge, 2013)

Toner, G., ‘The Ulster Cycle: Historiography or fiction?’, Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies (2000), 1–20

Allen, N. J., 'Cú Chulainn's women and some Indo-European comparisons', Emania 18, 57–64

Regular episodes every two weeks (on a Friday)

Email: medievalirishhistory@gmail.com

Producer: Tiago Veloso Silva

Supported by the Dept of Early Irish, Maynooth University & Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland.

Views expressed are the speakers' own.

Logo design: Matheus de Paula Costa

Music: Lexin_Music

Hosted by Dr Niamh Wycherley, this podcast shows that medieval Irish history is complex and dynamic — not at all stuffy or static. Via lively and engaging chats with leading experts, it explores aspects of a largely ignored, but commonly evoked, period, and shares new and exciting research on medieval Ireland.medievalirishhistory@gmail.comSupported by the Dept of Early Irish, Maynooth University & Taighde Éireann. Views expressed are speakers' own.Production: Tiago de Oliveira Veloso Silva.Logo design: Matheus de Paula CostaMusic: Lexin_Music

• No. of episodes: 58
• Latest episode: 2026-05-08
• History

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