Gaelic civilisation was by no means insular. The Greek and Roman classics occupied an important place within medieval Irish culture. The Irish produced the oldest translation of Virgil's Aeneid into a vernacular- "Imtheachta Aeniasa", and often incorporated classical influences into their literature.

The legend of the Trojan Wars was quite popular in Ireland due to the "Togail Troí"(The Taking of Troy) saga. During the middle ages, popular continental texts such as "The Travels of Marco Polo" were also translated into Irish.

Of course, classical literature and philosophy was studied in the original languages as well, particularly within monastic settings. In the 19th century Irish hedge school taught boys were still reciting the Bible in Greek.