Early Christian Ireland

The Conversion of Ireland

· In 431 Pope Celestine sent Bishop Paladius to the ‘Irish who believed in Christ’

We know little about these Christians; perhaps they were slaves or traders or recent converts.

· St. Patrick (born in Nth Britain) returned to Ireland as missionary bishop in 432.

· Spent most of his time at his headquarters in Armagh.

Tried to convert kings and nobles because he believed the ordinary folk would follow his example.

The Irish Monasteries

v St. Enda set up the first monastery on the Aran Islands in 490; many more set up after his example.

v Some were well populated which would help the poor & sick but others were quite remote.

v Early monastery looked like a ringfort.

v Monks lived in wattle-and-daub huts.

v Larger buildings for MASS, PRAYER & WORSHIP.

v Most structures were timber-built, but ended

up being built in stone.

v Skellig Michael made beehive huts using

Corbelling method.

Some monasteries had had round towers e.g. Glendalough. These were used as look-out points and store houses. They could be 25 -35 metres high and the door was four metres off the ground and reached ONLY by ladder. Inside the towers were divided into several storeys connected by ladder. Each storey had a window and the top storey usually had four or eight.

Manuscripts & Metalwork

There were NO printed books until c16th and all books copied on vellum (calf-skin) and parchment (sheep-skin)

The oldest surviving Irish manuscript is the ‘Cathach’ which is a copy of the psalms which dates back from c. 560.............BUT it has very little decoration.

Illuminated Manuscripts are copies of the Gospels decorated with abstract Celtic designs.

The Book of Kells is the most famous illuminated manuscript.

Monasteries also produced important works of art in metal e.g. the Ardagh Chalice & the Shrine for St. Patrick’s Bell.

These were made from silver/bronze with patterns of gold thread, enamel and glass.

Crosses

• Monasteries had stone crosses OR high crossesthese were simple carvings on slabs of rock.
• Later on...................................the cross had panels which contained scenes from the Bible.

• These panels were painted on and used to teach scripture

• Sometimes, the top of the cross was decorated with a stone model of a wooden church.

The Missionary Movement

Many Irish monks emigrated to work as missionaries in Europe.

St. Colmcille (521 -597)

· He became prince of Donegal.

· He became a monk and founded monasteries at Durrow, Derry and Kells.

· Over an issue of an Illuminated manuscript, Colmcille went into exile on IONA swearing never to set foot in Ireland and promised to convert a pagan for souls lost at a previous battle at Culdreimna.

· Colmcille during 563 – 597 he covert many Scots to Christianity.

· Iona became the centre of Scottish Christianity, culture and learning.

ANOTHER FAMOUS MONK FROM THE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT WAS…………………………

ST. COLUMBANUS (543 – 615)

ACHIEVEMENTS:

1. Irish monks kept Christianity alive in many places where it had died out, esp. Europe.
2. They were famous for their great knowledge of Greek and Roman classics.
3. They founded many monasteries; and became the centre of town life.

Monk successors abandoned the strict Irish monastic rule and adopted a gentler Benedictine Rule.