wiː nˈoʊ ðætðɪ ˈoʊld ˈaɪɹɪʃ ˈeɪənˌæk bɪɡˈæn æz fjˈuːnɚɹəl ɡˈeɪmz wɛn ðə hˈiəɹoʊz əvə bˈæɾəl wɜː bˈɛɹid, ænd ðæt hˈɔːɹsɹˈeɪsɪŋ wʌzɐ fˈiːtʃɚɹ ʌv ðiːz ɡˈeɪmz; ðætðə ɡˈeɪmz tˈɛndᵻd tə bɪkˌʌm ˈænjuːəl ᵻvˈɛnts æt wˌɪtʃ kˈoːɹts ʌv dʒˈʌstɪs wɜː hˈɛld ænd lˈɔːz ɛnˈæktᵻd ɛmbˈɑːdiɪŋ ðə tɹɐdˈɪʃənəl kˈʌstəmz ʌvðə klˈæn ɔːɹ sˈɛpt ɔːɹ pˈɛɾi kˈɪŋdəm; ðæt æt ðˌɛm mˈæɹɪdʒᵻz wɜː sˈɑːlɪmnˌaɪzd ænd ɡˈʊdz ɛkstʃˈeɪndʒd ænd bˈɑːɹɾɚd.
We know that the old Irish Aonach began as funeral games when the heroes of a battle were buried, and that horse-racing was a feature of these games; that the games tended to become annual events at which courts of justice were held and laws enacted embodying the traditional customs of the clan or sept or petty kingdom; that at them marriages were solemnised and goods exchanged and bartered.