📖 Ancient Restoration

Desmond Fennell Irish Liberalism is just "second hand Englishness"

"He [Tolkien] described Ireland as a country naturally evil.." It's believed that Tolkien imagined the Irish landscape as being filled with the glamour & ferocious weirdness that permeates Irish myth - He much preferred the sober morality found in Old English…

"He [Tolkien] described Ireland as a country naturally evil.." It's believed that Tolkien imagined the Irish landscape as being filled with the glamour & ferocious weirdness that permeates Irish myth - He much preferred the sober morality found in Old English tales.

J.R.R. Tolkien's first visit to Ireland was in 1949 as an Examiner at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Though very fond of the West of Ireland, he wrote: "I find both Gaelic and the air of Ireland wholly alien – though the latter (not the language)…

J.R.R. Tolkien's first visit to Ireland was in 1949 as an Examiner at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Though very fond of the West of Ireland, he wrote: "I find both Gaelic and the air of Ireland wholly alien – though the latter (not the language) is attractive."

Poll na gollum ('Hole of Gollum') in the Burren, Ireland. The cave may well be the source of inspiration for Tolkien's character.

Poll na gollum ('Hole of Gollum') in the Burren, Ireland. The cave may well be the source of inspiration for Tolkien's character.

Did Celtic flaming-eye artwork inspire Tolkien's Middle Earth? There are striking similarities in literature and imagery:

Flaming eyes are widely found in Celtic artwork - hidden faces with staring eyes that magically guard & watch, or that envelop enemies in fire.

Tolkien tells us how 'nazg' - the word for 'ring' in the Black Speech, is most probably derived from the Irish word 'nasc'. Tolkien's 126th birthday anniversary this year.

Tolkien tells us how 'nazg' - the word for 'ring' in the Black Speech, is most probably derived from the Irish word 'nasc'. Tolkien's 126th birthday anniversary this year.

For Griffith, democratic politics leads to ideological extremism & control of the state by anti-national forces. The king is a safeguard.