Ogham is Ireland’s oldest writing system, dating to the 4th century.

Ogham is Ireland’s oldest writing system, dating to the 4th century. It works by carving one to five lines along the edge of a standing stone, bottom to top, and was used to write Primitive Irish. Around 400 stones survive, mostly in Kerry, Cork and Waterford. Almost all just say a name, “of X, son of Y”, marking burials or boundaries. Its letters are named after trees, earning it the nickname “Celtic tree alphabet.” It fell out of use around the 7th century but today you’ll find it on everything from tattoos to jewellery to road signs.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ It’s also what our logo is based on!