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

• $Pagan religio$n 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