Roman relations with Ireland: a Scottish perspective

Abstract

The nature of Roman contact with Ireland has long been a matter of debate. This paper first examines why a Roman invasion of Ireland was never a realistic option, primarily because of the failure to complete the conquest of Scotland. It then considers the evidence and parallels for the various mechanisms by which Roman artefactual material found its way to Ireland, concluding that the most important were trade contacts with Roman merchants, continued kinship links with western Britain and financial subsidies from Rome to help maintain peace on the northern frontier.