Brehon Laws

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

This is the English name for an ancient legal system which pre- vailed in Ireland from about the 7th century. They cover every phase of Irish life and furnish an interesting picture of the country in those early days.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Brehon Laws” mean?

This is the English name for an ancient legal system which pre- vailed in Ireland from about the 7th century. They cover every phase of Irish life and furnish an interesting picture of the country in those early days.

Is “Brehon Laws” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.