Celtic Fidchell was the thinking mans strategy board game of choice in Ireland when Cuchulainn was a boy and is referred to frequently in the Celtic manuscripts and Legends where it is described as being played by royalty and even the Gods.

The game was invented by Lugh, the God of Light, and played with skill by his son, the warrior Cuchulainn.

History hasn’t yet definitively revealed to us the board layout or rules, ref. Early Irish Board Games by Eoin Mac White, but excavations in 1932 at a Crannóg in County Westmeath gave us the “Ballinderry board” which was subsequently dated 950-975 A.D.

Scholars agree that this board type lends itself to the playing of a Tafl or Tablut style game, variations of which were widely played throughout Northern Europe and Scandinavia at this time.

Others argue that Fidchell was more like the Roman game of Latrinculi, but while there is an element of speculation as to the precise rules of Fidchell we can be certain that the Ballinderry style board was played in Ireland over a thousand years ago. 

The Original board design is printed on an A4 sheet of durable 5mm. co-plast. The board is double sided, with the playing area and rules printed in English on one side and in Irish on the reverse.

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Ba í an Fhidchell Ceilteach rogha cluiche lucht éirime in Éininn le linn óige Chú Chulainn. Bhí idir éirim is straitéis ag baint lena himirt agus is minic tagairt di sna lámhscríbhinní Ceilteacha agus sna fínscéalta, áit a deirtear gur imir na clanna ríoga agus fiú na ndéithe é. Níl aon chúntas crinn sa stair ar leagan amach an chláir nó rialacha an chluiche againn ach is féidir deimhin a dhéanamh de gur imríodh leagan Bhaile an Doire den gcluiche in Éirinn breis agus míle bliain ó shin.
Bain sásamh as.

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