Early Christian Ireland

  • 400AD: Ireland became christian
  • 431AD: Palladius arrived in Ireland
  • 432AD: St Patrick arrived in Ireland

Monasteries

  • Early Irish monasteries were built in remote places
    • Skellig Micheal
  • Monks lived in bee hive cells
    • Corbelled roof
  • They prayed in churches called oratories
  • They ate in a room called a refectory
  • Other building included
    • Workshops
    • Guest houses
    • Stables
    • Round tower
    • Clondalkin

Monks

  • Monks wore a casula
  • They shaved their head to a tonsure
  • Abbot: head of the monastery
  • Monks spend their day working, studying and praying

[[Study:[[

  • studied and copied the bible in the scriptorium

[[Pray:[[

  • Morning prayers: matins
  • Evening prayers: vespers

Work of monks

  • Some monks worked as missionaries spreading their religion abroad
  • Monks were very good at producing works of art. Such as:
    • Chalises
    • Ardagh Chalice
    • Manuscripts
    • The Book of Kells

Contribution of Christianity in Ireland

Art

  • Scribes => created illuminated manuscripts in a scriptorium on vellum or parchment paper
  • Monks carved high stone crosses to teach the illiterate people bible stories
  • Monks also produced silver chalices, croziers and brooches

Reading and writing

  • Before Christianity brought reading and writing to Ireland => Ogham alphabet was used
  • After Christianity brought reading and writing to Ireland => Latin alphabet was used
  • Monks created manuscripts in Latin and Irish
  • Monks taught people in their local community

St.Patrick’s Day

  • 17th of March is a National holiday
    • Also celebrated internationally
  • Part of Irish cultural identity
  • Brings Irish diaspora together

Development of Christian Culture

  • Pagan festivals were replaced with Christian ones
  • St. Brigid’s Day replaced Imbolc

Laws and Society

  • Christianity played a large role in Irish society

  • Divorce was legal in Celtic Ireland => made illegal in Christian Ireland until 1996

Conflict

  • There have been many conflicts on the island of Ireland
  • The troubles

Discrimination

  • Penal Laws => discrimination against non-members of the Church of Ireland
    • Christians could not speak or read Irish
    • Ban on Catholics inheriting Protestant land
    • Presbyterian marriages were not recognised by the state

Change in religion

  • Pagan religion was replaced by Christianity
  • Importance of druids decreased

Links with Europe

  • Some Irish monks were sent abroad as missionaries
  • Golden age of Irish learning => according to historians