On present evidence, the human settlement of Ireland commenced some ten thousand years ago, and the prehistoric story thus cover over eight and a half thousand years. Now in a third edition, this book provides a chronological account of this timespan and, with numerous illustrations, charts the development of the first hunting and foraging communities, the achievements of the agriculturalists with their remarkable megalithic tombs, and the technological advances of the later bronze and iron using societies.

Recent decades have seen some exceptional developments in the study of the prehistoric archaeology of Ireland. New discoveries, excavations and research, new theoretical approaches and the increasing application of radiocarbon and tree-ring dating have all made an enormous contribution to the better understanding of this remote past. As well as being a comprehensive and original review of the subject, this edition answers the need for a detailed introduction to a large body of archaeological evidence resulting from the explosion of work completed in the last 15 years. In that respect, it could be said to bring Ireland's prehistoric past up to date.