The History and Topography of Ireland (Unabridged‪)‬

Gerald of Wales, also called Giraldus Cambrensis or Gerald De Barri ( c. 1146-c. 1223), was the archdeacon of Brecknock and a historian whose accounts of late 12th century Britain and France contain vivid anecdotes about the Christian church, the universities of Paris and Oxford, and about notable clerics. His work, Topographia Hiberniae, is an arresting account of his travels in Ireland, with vivid descriptions of the island’s fauna and flora and its natural beauty. Recounting the history of Ireland's rulers, he tells fantastical tales of deadly whirlpools, enchanted wells, weird creatures, and evil spirits. Despite the detours into fantasy, his work remains one of the most important sources for what is known of Ireland during the Middle Ages.