The first humans probably came to Ireland 10,000 years ago – fairly recent in human history terms. The earliest trace of humans is in Hermitage, Co. Limerick on the banks of the Shannon. Nobody is sure where they came from – some say Northern Spain, Western France, North West Africa, Scotland or England. The climate at this time was several degrees warmer than it is now, and the land was mostly covered in thick forests. It seems that people mostly lived on the coast or beside rivers and lakes. They lived in small groups of x, and were mostly nomadic, moving to different places depending on the season. They got all of their food, clothing and tools by hunting, gathering and fishing.
Mesolithic means Middle Stone Age, as it’s between the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and Neolithic (New Stone Age). In each age, people made different types and shapes of stone tools, however in Ireland it seems there was no Paleolithic like there was in other parts of Europe. People using Mesolithic-era tools migrated to the island, so Irish pre-history begins with the Mesolithic.
