Bruiden
In Gaelic Ireland, a bruiden was a building offering shelter, drink and food, often translated as "hostel", "banqueting hall" or "inn."
A description in The Tale of Mac [Da Thó's Pig] describes one bruiden: "There were seven doors in each hall, seven roads through it, and seven fireplaces therein. There were seven cauldrons, with an ox and a salted pig in each. The person, who came that way would thrust the fleshfork into the cauldron, and whatever he obtained with the first thrust he ate, and if he did not obtain anything with the first thrust he ate nothing."
The host was required to show "welcome to all" and "refusal to none."
List
According to The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig, there were five or six major bruidne in Ireland:- Bruiden Dá Derga, located in the kingdom of Cualu; usually placed on the River Dodder or at Stackallen, County Meath. Featured in the famous poem Togail Bruidne Dá Derga
- Bruiden Forgaill Manaich, located at Rathmooney, near to Lusk, County Dublin.
- Bruiden Dá Réo, located in West Bréifne
- Bruiden Dá Choca, at Breenmore Hill, near Athlone ; featured in the story of Togail Bruidne Da Chocae
- Bruiden Dá Thó, in Laigin, believed to lie in the south of County Carlow
Bruiden Blai Brugad or Bruiden Brúadaig is another, located in Ulaid, hosted by Blai. Bruiden of Moda Minadhmadadh is another.
The idea of having six bruidne may have been chosen to mirror the six "cities of refuge" in the Hebrew Bible.
Sean's Bar in Athlone is located in a building parts of which have been dated to c. AD 900, with wattle and wicker walls. Located near a crossing-point on the River Shannon, it claims to be Ireland's oldest pub and may be the site of an ancient bruiden.