THE CELTIC WAY OF LIFE by the Curriculum Development Unit (The O'Brien Press Ltd., 1998), is a small but interesting book giving an overview of daily life among the Celtic people of Ireland, and it served as a quick source of inspiration for some of the aspects of life in the fictional Talamh an Ghlas.
For a more detailed and in-depth look, THE COURSE OF IRISH HISTORY by Professors T.W. Moody and F.X. Martin (Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1995) proved invaluable. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in a detailed and well-researched overview of the history of Ireland.
My apologies in advance to speakers of Irish Gaelic. Through the book, I have borrowed several terms from Irish and though I've made my best attempt, any mistakes in usage are my own and are due to my limited understanding of the language.
Many thanks to Sheila Gilbert for seeing the story and loving it, and for making me part of the "family" at DAW.
If you're connected to the internet, my web page can be accessed from www.farrellworlds.com you're always welcome to browse through.