Early Christian Ireland

Pagan

Someone who worships various gods, often with a focus on nature or the earth

Druid

A spiritual figure similar to a priest in pre-Christian Celtic Ireland

Monastery

A closed religious community living by the rules of an order

Monk

A  man dedicated to a religious order and life in a monastery.

Scriptorium

A room where manuscripts were copied by hand and illustrated by scribes

Round tower

A bell tower and safe place for people and treasures if the monastery came under attack. A round tower’s door was many metres above ground and could not be reached without a ladder. Its few windows were also very high up, so that a lookout could spot attckers

examples of round towers that still survive include Ardmore in Co. Wterford and Glendalough in Co. Wicklow

Manuscript

A book written by hand, often in Latin, on a sheepskin parchment or vellum ( calfskin )

High cross

A free- standing stone cross, usually with elaborate carvings showing biblical scenesL

Longphort

By the mid-ninth century, the Vikings were estabilishing longhports, a Viking camp by the water, used as a base for raids. 

Many longhports were temporary, whilst others grew into large trading posts and eventually large towns.

Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin were all once longphorts

When was iron in use in Ireland

500-300 BC

Where did the Celts arrive from

From central Europe ( modern-day Austria and Switzerland ), bringing with them their culture, language, religion and knowledge of iron-working. Iron became the main metal for weapons and tools. Celtic culture became dominant

How was Celtic society organised

The country was divided into many tuath ( kingdoms ), each ruled by a rí (king)

Under him were the aos dána people with special skills - brehons (judges) druids (priests) warriors, poets

Below them were farmers

At the bottom of society were labourers or slaves

Religious Beliefs and burials

The Celts were pagans - they worshipped various gods, often with a focus on nature or the earth.

Druids were similar figures to priests in pre-Christian Celtic Ireland

They cremated the dead and buried the remains in a pit or cist grave, along with grave goods

They marked graves with ogham stones

These standing stones, which were also used the mark boundaries, feature the earliest form of writing in Ireland. Ogham was a series of horizontal and diagonal lines along a central verticle line

Early Christian Ireland

The period of time when Christianity first came to Ireland.

When did Christianity first come to Ireland

For historians, the first offical source about Christianity in Ireland is dated AD 431, when a bishop named Palladius was sent to the ‘Irish who believe in Christ’

St, Patrick in Ireland

Was brought  to Ireland from Wales as a slave at 16

After 6 years he escaped to Britain, but later returned as a bishop to spread Christianity.

Between 432 and 461, he worked mainly in the north, and founded many churches and missions

We know this from his book, ‘St. Patricks Confessio, In it he said he ‘baptised thousands’ and ‘ordained clerics everywhere’

He began to convert the pagan Celts to Christianity. Pagan festivals continued, but gradually became absorbed into Christianity e.g Samhain into Hallowe’en

Early Irish Monasteries

Some Christians chose to live apart from the rest of society in a monastery - a closed religious community- to devote their lives to God. Monks are men who dedicate themselves to a religious order and to life in a monastery.

Women became nuns 

They lived in closed communities known as convents.

The first Irish monastery, called Inis Mór, was founded by St, Enda on the Arán Islands, around 500 AD

St. Ciarán = Clonmacnoise

St. Colmcille = Derry

St. Brendan - Clonfert

Life of monks

Lived simple lives, spent days praying, working

Prayed 6-8 times a day

Farm work - Ploughing milking, harvesting corn

Monks were self-sufficient

Slept in Beehive huts

Beehive huts

A small stone hut, shaped like a beehive, where a monk slept. To plant and grow food, soil had to be brought from the mainland. This extreme isolation meant they could better focus on God

Oratory

A church made of wood or stone when monks attended Mass or prayed

Refectory

Where monks ate their meals

Guesthouse

For travellers or visting tradespeople

Fields

To grow crops and graze animal

Cemetery

For monk’s simple grave

Circular wall

For protection

Art produced by Monks

Manuscripts, metalwork and high crosses. These were influenced by Celtic art

Celtic Art

La Tène art style ( named after the hoard found in La Tène, Switzerland)

Featured spirals, florals, fantasy animals and curved lines

Also crafted intricate gold jewellery

Style continued to evolve and had a huge influence on later generations of Irish art

Manuscripts

Christianity helped to spread reading and writing in Ireland

Manuscripts = Contained, Gospels and Psalms from Bible,maccounts from lives of saints, Celtic myths and sagas

They were books written by hand, often in Latin, on sheepskin parchhemtn or on vellum (calfskin).

Were decorated (illuminated) with Celtic patterns in vividly colored inks made from berries, crushed acorns, metals, powdered rocks and beetles,

The most famous example of a manuscript is the Book of Kells, ket at Trinity College Dublin. It dates back to 800 AD and is a bautifully decorated copy of the Gospels

Metalwork

Monks were very skilled craftsmen, created beautiful metalwork pieces : chalices, brooches, bells, cups, and belts

They decorated silver with gold,amber,enamel and colored glass

Made intricate gold writing, called filigree

Celtic design could be seen in their work, which shows the overlap between Christian and pagan beliefs and traditions

The Ardagh Chalice (8th century) and the Derrynaflan Chalice (early ninth century) are examples of chalices made using these skills

Stone Crosses

Stonemasonry was very important in ECI

Gifted stonemasons monks carved high crosses, free-standing stone crosses, usually with elaborate carvings showing biblical scenes

Most people could not read or write, so these scenes helped to teach Biblical scenes

e.g Cross of the Scriptures in Clonmacnoise, Offaly ( late tenth century)

Muiredach’s Cross in Monasterboice. Co. Louth (mid-ninth to ealry tenth century)

Dark Ages

The period of time after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, was a time of war and unrest ( AD 500 to 1000)

What did Irish monks do abroad

The hard and savage times in Europe, and the threat of Vikings at home led to many monks travelling abroad to found monasteries throughout Europe

They produced manuscripts in the Irish style and wroked to convert Europe to Christianity

Time is now known as the ‘Golden Age’ of Irish monasteries

Countries where monasteries where founded and who founded them

St, Columbanus left monastery in Bangor, Co. Down and founded Luxeuil in France and Bobbio in Italy

St, Colmcille founded Iona, an island off the coast of Scotland

When did Vikings first come to Ireland

The first recorded Viking attacks on Ireland took place in 795 and focused on rich monasteries. Those on Lambay Island, Co. Dublin and Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim were both pillaged and burned that year

Vikings and Monasteries

Were easy targets for raiders

They took captives to sell as slaves, as well as cattle and any food stores, and they looted the treasures, as they was no one to protect them. 

Viking Impact on Ireland

Over time, Vikings who settled intermarried with Gaelic and adapted Gaelic culture and customs ( Gaelicised)

They eventually disappeared as a distinct group in Ireland but they had deeply influenced Irish culture and society

Founded towns e.g Dublin, Waterford, Limerick

Introduced currency (coins) to Ireland and opened more trade links with Europe

Introduced new words into Irish language e.g long (ship), bróg (shoe) and breá (good, fine)

Many Irish surnames are Viking in orgin e.g Doyle, Higgins and McLaughlin

Historical Significance of Early Christian Ireland

Shaped Irish identity, beliefs, practices and customs

ECI monasteries can be found all around Ireland, metalwork, stonework and manuscripts which were created there and conserved in our museums

CI influenced the Irish landscape, many place names reveal a religious origin e.g Kilkenny Monasterevin and Downpatrick

The ECI Church cleverly absorbed some pagan rituals and beliefs into their practices to ensure that Christianity grew quikcly e.g holy wells

According to the 2016 census figures, 84.6% of the population identifies themselves as Christian

SInce Plantations, divisions within Christianity in Ireland-betwen Catholics and Protestants, have made religion a key facotr in Irish history e.g 1798 Rebellion and The Troubles

Many symbols that represent Ireland today can be linked to the history of Christianity in Ireland

St. Brigids Cross, a corss woven of rushes and traditionally linked to St Brigid of KIldare

The shamrock is associated with St. Patrick, who used it to explain the Holy Trinity, e.g the symbol of the Irish Natonal TRugby Team is the shamrock7

The Republic of Ireland’s national holiday is on the 17th of March and is dedicated to St. Patrick, the patron saint of I9reland