In approximately 700 bc the Gaels began arriving in Ireland,
having spread across the rest of western Europe. It is perhaps
unsurprising that such an enterprising people would eventually
arrive at the continent's westernmost outpost, but it is possibly in
Ireland that their legacy has been most profound. The Gaels, as
with most invaders who would follow, brought their own distinc-
tive culture with them, but also adapted much that was specific
to Ireland. This resulted in a composite system of religious
beliefs and power structures drawn from both the indigenous and
settler traditions. The old Neolithic gods (tuatha) who had under-
pinned the Irish belief system prior to the arrival of the Gaels
were adopted, and over time became identifiable as Gaelic gods.
In appropriating the old Irish gods, the Gaels also adapted and
continued to use the important sites, such as Newgrange, as part
of their own religious system. The Gaels did not destroy those
groups that existed on the island; indeed it appears that they only
ever formed a powerful minority within the total population.
They held the best land, wielded the most power, and made the
native population pay tribute to them, but they were a minority
of the population. This minority position was diluted over time,
as would be the case with later invaders such as the Normans, as
the Gaels intermarried, forged local alliances and slowly assimi-
lated native customs into their own way of life.

The Gaels based their power structure around a monarchical
system. At first the whole system ran on very localised lines. In
time there developed a network of local ring forts, remains of
which can still be found. Each of these forts served as the centre
of a local area of influence for a single king or chieftain who
was elected by those regarded as freemen. There was no system
of direct succession for those who would be king. The elections
drew candidates from anywhere within the ruling family, not
necessarily the eldest son. This arrangement, although appearing
simplistically as highly democratic, would cause problems as it
did little to ensure continuity of rule.

In total the island of Ireland contained around a hundred small
kingdoms. The small kingdoms were arranged into five bigger
groupings, which form the basis of Ireland's modern provinces:
Ulaid (Ulster), Midhe ( Meath), Laigin ( Leinster), Muma

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