I have just arrived at a freezing cold and grey Clonmacnoise in County Offaly. You might be wondering what this important early Christian centre has to do with our pre-Christian Cattle Raid of Cooley #CattleRaid 
The earliest version we have of Tain Bo Cuailnge - the Cattle Raid of Cooley - is found in a manuscript called Lebor na hUidre - the Book of the Dun Cow - so called because it was made from the skin of St Keiran’s favourite cow #CattleRaid
The Book of the Dun Cow was written here at Clonmacnoise in the year 1100AD by (wait for it) Maol Mhuire Mac Ceilechair Meic Cuinn na mBocht. There are many building here that existed in his time - a physical link to the Cattle Raid story #CattleRaid
Imagine, we are walking here on the same ground, seeing many of the same things where the scribe of that book. The building associated with the scriptorium - Temple Melaghlin dates from 1200AD, too late for our man, but an earlier building on the site predated it #CattleRaid
In case we didn’t have enough drama or enough tragedy, it will hardly be a surprise to any Irish person to hear that poor old Maol Mhuire Mac Ceilechair Meic Cuinn na mBocht was killed in Vikings who sailed up the Shannon here in 1106AD #CattleRaid
I’m off now to Rathcroghan, Meave’s Connaught fortress. Join me in a few hours for more on the great Cattle RAID. In the meantime, please retweet #CattleRaid
