Hibernia
Roman name for the island of Ireland.
Popular belief is that the Romans neither invaded or particularly influenced Ireland and that primary contact between Hibernia and the Roman Empire came through Irish tribal expeditions that harried the Roman provinces of Britannia (Britain) and Gaul (France). There have always been close links between the two islands and France, and whereas the British and Gauls were largely romanised, evidence about roman influence in Scotland and Ireland is more elusive. Our historical sources are fragmentary and brief at best.
In the Southeast of Ireland, where native material is rare, Roman-style cemeteries and large quantities of Roman finds are found. Elsewhere in Ireland Roman material is found completely independent of the native La Tene material and is not common.
In the Southwest of Ireland archaology shows that there had been settlement from Britain around 0CE. Ptolemy in 100 CE records tribal names identical to tribes in Gaul and Britain. The early medieval people had latin and British loan words and a strong tradition of British origin.
The Irish myth of Tuathal, tells of an Irish Chieftan, who spent some time in Britain around the time of Agricola and returned to seize power in the Irish Midlands with a trained army. Tacitus tells us that Agricola had with him an Irish Chieftan for exactly such a task. Juvenal tells us that, Roman 'arms had been taken beyond the shores of Ireland'. Excavations at sites linked to the tale of Tuathal have produced Roman material of the late 1st or early 2nd centuries AD. Perhaps Tuathal was that Irish Chieftan referred to above who returned with Roman trained troops, power and technology.
Tara, the midland ritual complex, Clogher, a northern hillfort, and Cashel, in the south have produced early and late Roman material, the first two having produced no native finds. The place name Cashell has its origin in the latin castellum. All become capitals of new kingdoms and all believe that their origins derive from Britain.
At Drumanagh, 25km of Dublin, a large(20Ha) site has recently been found to be Roman. Consisting of a peninsula defended by three rows of parallel ditches on the landward side, the site appears to be a port or bridgehead. Access to the finds and the site has been prohibited for over 10 years due to a court case about ownership. It is a scandal.
Other Roman influences can be seen such as the the penannular brooch, used to fasten Irish cloaks from 4th-11th century, which derives from a style of Romano-British brooch, or the early medieval Irish sword which was directly derived from the Roman Spatha? and even the rapid adoption of Christianity.
Everyone accepts that Caesar 'invaded' Britain, however his army left few discoverable traces, stayed only a couple of years, and failed to incorporate Britain into the Roman Empire. If it wasn't for the survival of his book, The Gallic War, no archaeologist would suggest a Roman invasion of Britain in 54CE. The few other remaining texts suggest that something happened in Ireland. But without the miraculous discovery of a lost Roman text, we are unlikely to ever know the full story.
The lack of Roman stone fortifications, straight paved roads, and remaining historical texts does not neccessarily mean that the Romans had no influence in Ireland. From the 6th Century onwards the material and habits of the ruling classes in Ireland seem to owe more to Romano-British culture than the native La-Tene culture.
Hibernia was the name given to one of the first two railway locomotives to run in Ireland. She was built in Manchester, along with her sister locomotive, Vauxhall.
Hibernia is also a major oil rig operating off Newfoundland.
