The Irish Stoic
The Instructions of King Cormac mac Airt, Ireland's Forgotten Book of WisdomBy Cormac mac Airt
Length2h 39m
About this audiobook
Discover Ireland's forgotten book of wisdom.
Long before modern leadership manuals and popular philosophy, an extraordinary collection of Irish wisdom explored power, justice, character and the responsibilities of a good ruler.
The Instructions of King Cormac mac Airt, attributed to one of Ireland's legendary High Kings, survived through centuries of manuscript copying. Its thirty-seven sections offer advice on leadership, friendship, reputation, judgment, honesty and human behaviour.
In *The Irish Stoic*, this remarkable medieval text to a modern audience, exploring its historical origins and enduring lessons. From firmness without anger to the importance of keeping one's word, listening carefully and exercising power responsibly, Cormac's wisdom offers a fascinating perspective on leadership and the human condition.
Discover an overlooked treasure of Ireland's intellectual heritage and explore what its ancient wisdom can still teach us today.
Audiobook details
GenreHistory, Philosophy
Length2 hrs 39 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 3, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Title
139. The Chief and His Hall
2Preface: Why This Book
1410. The Making of a Man
3Introduction: The King Who Gave Up the Crown
1511. Reading People
41. Cormac in Legend
1612. The Hard Section
52. Cormac in History
1713. Weather, Household and Conduct
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63. Tara
1814. The Body
74. Life in Cormac's Ireland
1915. How Not to Argue
85. The Law Under Every Line
2016. The Worst of Men
96. How the Book Was Made
2117. Among the Wise and the Foolish
107. Cormac and the Stoics
2218. Ridicule and the Broken Word
11A Note on the Text
2319. Last Words
128. On Kingship
2420. Cormac's Company
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