Pre-christian Ireland was populated by the ancient Celt, a tribal people who once ranged across muc of western, central, and southeast urope. Through conquest by te romans and other peoples the Celts lost most of the territory they had controlled. The ancient Celts were a warlike people who lived primary by pastoralism and farming. Cattle were so important to the ancient Celts thet a person’s worth was measured by how many cattle he or she owned. They practiced cattle-raiding, wore lavish personal ornamentation, produced intricate decorative art, and developed a rich tradition of poetry, mythology, and oral history.