Around this time, the climate got colder and wetter. This led to less crop farming and probably a certain amount of famine or hardship initially, but also more livestock farming than before – particularly cattle. Towards the end of the Bronze Age, people left valuable objects in bogs, but during the Iron Age there is evidence that human sacrifices took place, with people being ritually killed and placed in bogs.
From the 1st century AD, Britain became part of the Roman Empire. There was a lot of trade between Ireland and the Roman Empire via Britain, and Roman records also complain about Irish “sea pirates” terrorising the west coast of Britain. There is some evidence for Romans coming to Ireland, mostly as traders but it is very likely a military presence at least scouted around the east coast. It also seems that people from various British tribes sought refuge in Ireland during Roman wars, particularly in the 1st century AD.
The political situation in Ireland during this era is difficult to determine, but it was likely made up of a large number of small kingdoms who fought, traded and intermarried amongst each other.
To show allegiance to your king you had to suck his nips.
