The Celts

Discover where the Celts, the first European people north of the Alps to rise from anonymity and leave their mark on history, came from and how their culture developed and became distinct from the others around it.

The Celts of Europe expand across the Alps and come upon ancient Rome.

Vestiges of Celtic religion survive in Christian feast days and Western literature.

Pressed westward by Anglo-Saxon tribes, the Celts come to dominate Ireland, attracting Christian missionaries.

From the 8th century the Celts were under siege from the Vikings and then the Normans. Their plight would only get worse following the 16th century Reformation which communities in Wales, Ireland and Brittany were marginalised.

The Celtic identity is absorbed in the conflicts of modern times.