John Carey (Celticist)

John Carey (born 1951) is an American Celticist specializing in medieval Irish literature and mythology. He is known for his work on Irish mythological narratives, early Irish law, and the interaction between native Irish traditions and Christian learning.

Carey received his PhD from Harvard University in 1985. He taught at various institutions before becoming a Professor of Early Irish at University College Cork in Ireland, a position he held until his retirement. He has also been a visiting professor at several other universities, including the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

His research interests include the Ulster Cycle, the Mythological Cycle, and hagiography. He has published extensively on these topics, producing critical editions of texts, insightful analyses of their themes and meanings, and explorations of their historical and cultural contexts.

Selected Publications:

• A Single Ray of the Sun: Religious Speculation in Early Ireland. (Andover, MA: Greystone Press, 1989).
• King of Mysteries: Early Irish Religious Writings. (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1998).
• The Irish National Tradition: Studies in Honour of Donnchadh Ó Corráin. (Edited with Máire Herbert). (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2017).
• Numerous articles in journals such as Ériu, Celtica, and Studia Celtica.

Carey's work is highly regarded in the field of Celtic Studies for its meticulous scholarship, its insightful interpretations, and its contributions to a deeper understanding of early Irish culture and thought.