The document provides an overview of early Christian Ireland from 431-795 AD. It discusses the origins of the Irish people, how some came to believe in Christianity, the missions of Palladius and St. Patrick in the 5th century, and the emergence of influential Irish monasticism between the 5th-12th centuries under founding figures like Columcille and Finnian. Key aspects of Irish monastic life are outlined such as their spiritual emphasis on contemplation, scholarship, and evangelism. The summary concludes by noting how political and social changes eventually led to the secularization of some monasteries by the 8th century.
Christianity and Identity in Ireland 1: Early Christian Ireland
1. Christianity and Identity
in Ireland: how faith has
made us who we are
… a prayerful journey through
this island’s story
2. HISTORY?
• It’s just one thing after another!!
1. History is telling stories about the past
• A science: what really happened?
• More than one story (narrative plurality)
• No “authorative” story
• As we tell “our” story we have to be sensitive to the fact there
are many other stories going on (narrative hospitality)
2. What story should we tell?
• We are the Church
• What is our responsibility to this island? What sort of future
would we like to have?
3. Thinking historically is like travelling to a foreign
country
• No context = pretext (remember Ben Franklin!)
• There is always a bigger story
3. Week 1: Early Christian
Ireland
A.D. 431-795
“To the Irish believing in Christ, Palladius
having been ordained by Pope Celestine,
is sent as first Bishop.”
(Ad Scottos in Christum credentes a papa
Caelestino Palladius primus episcopus
mittitur.)
- Chronicle of Prosper of Aquitaine
4. Four questions:
• Who were the “Scotti” (Irish)?
• How had some of them come to
believe in Christ?
• Why was Palladius sent to them?
• How does St. Patrick fit into the
story?
5. 1. Who were the “Scotti”?
Geography:
• forest, bog and rock.
• Wolves and wild boar
• “Ultima Thule”
First Inhabitants?
Map of Ireland based upon Ptolomy’s
Coordiantes. Ptolomy lived in Egypt c. 90-150
6. 1. Who were the “Scotti”?
“The first that landed
upon this island were
three Spanish
fishermen drove
upon the coast by a
storm.”
“Note: this landing of
the fishermen is
The Book of Invasions (Lebor
deemed fabulous.” Gabála Érenn) c. 11th century
7. 1. Who were the “Scotti”?
Geography:
• forest, bog and rock.
• Wolves and wild boar
• “Ultima Thule”
First Inhabitants:
•We know nothing
about the culture,
hopes desires, society
of the “pre Celts”
•They have left
Map of Ireland based upon Ptolomy’s
mysterious structures Coordiantes. Ptolomy lived in Egypt c. 90-150
8. Dating back to c. 3200 BC
Newgrange mound and passage
tomb in Co. Meath is the oldest
astronomical structured in the
World.
9. The Celtic Invasions c. 800-100
B.C.
“The Dying Gaul” Roman copy of Greek Statue, c. 230-220 BC
11. Celtic Society
• “Tribal, Hierarchical,
Familiar” (D. A. Binchy)
• Semi-nomadic
• Illiterate
• Complex literary and legal
culture
• Ring forts, crannògs, raths
• No towns (civitae)
• Cattle important as staple
food and currency
• Pagan Religion
12. The Structure of Celtic Society
• Not Feudal!
• 180 Túatha (petty kingdoms)
• 4 generation derbfine – identity was bound up
with membership of the kin group
• Hierarchy: King (Ri), Poets (Filid), Lawyers
(Brehons)
• Clienstship
• Tannistry (rule didn’t pass from father to son)
• Fosterage
• Cultural unity – political disunity
• Not a nation! A Celtic World
13. 2. How had they come to be
“believing in Christ”?
• Edict of Milan, A.D. 313
• Yet: Roman forces never
stepped foot in Ireland
• Outside the scope of the
Pax Romana (Hadrian’s
Wall)
• Trading? especially in
south-east (silver hoardes,
Emperors Valens [365-78]
and Honorius [395-423]) “I was taken into captivity in
• Ogham Stones? Ireland with many thousands
• Big Picture: Collapse of of people”
the Empire; Celtic Pirates (Patrick, Confessio)
(Civitas Dei)
14. 3. Why was Palladius sent to
them?
• We know very little about
what he did beyond being
“consecrated as first
bishop”
• To the “many thousands”?
• A specialist in dealing with
heresy
• Patrick’s mission started in
A.D. 432, confusion of
identities
• 8th century, “cult of Patrick”
(smear campaign)
15. Where does St. Patrick fit into
all this?
The Patrick of legend…
• What “facts” do you know about
Patrick?
• Myths, but important myths!! (the
Vitae (lives) of Tierchan and
Mierchu)
The Patrick of history…
• Two surviving documents – Confessio
and Letter to Coroticus
• Born c. 395
• Roman citizen from Bannavem
Taburniae (Carlisle?)
• Father and grandfather served church
• Taken by Irish pirates at age 16
16. • 6 years tending flock as a
slave; Spiritual awakening
• Escapes to Gaul (France)
on a boat
• Welcomed home with
much rejoicing
• Couldn’t settle for the
privileged villa lifestyle
• In a dream hears the
“vox hiberniae” (voice of
the Irish)
• Returns to France for
education
17. • Consecrated as bishop in 432
• Greatest success in Ulster
• Perhaps first goal, like
Palladius was to reach
Christian Britons who had
been abducted into slavery like
him
• Many thousand “Scoti” come
to faith through his ministry
• Opposes the slaughter of Irish
by Romans
• Stands up for woman
• Speaks against slavery
• Dies 461
• A passionate evangelistic spirit
• A thorough-bread Roman,
entirely “orthodox”
Page from Patrick’s Confessio
18. The Churches of St.
Patrick
• Episcopal; territorial,
oversight by bishops
• Any possible problems with
this?
• Separatist (the early canons)
• Not “culturally” Celtic,
Roman/Latin in character! The traditional site of Patrick’s
burial, Downpatrick
• Coenobitic monasticism
(hermits) – why there are
“deserts” in Ireland!
19. The Emergence of Irish
• Monasticism
Church in a little over 100 years would
look totally different
• Chaos in Europe, lines of communication
broke, Christianity nearly dies out in
Britain
• Political turbulence in Ireland – rise of the
Uí Néills, colonisation of Ayrshire by Dál
riAta (“Scot”land), colonisation of Wales
• Reasonable to presume decline of
Patrician churches
• Yet: new evangelistic movement sweeps
through the Celtic world: monasticism
• Between 5th-12thC. Over 600 monastic
settlements built!
• “The Irish church was almost exclusively
monastic.” (Gougaud)
• Spiritually vibrant and culturally relevant Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry
20. Early Irish Monasteries
Started by charismatic
leaders:
• Columcille – Derry
• Comgall – Bangor
• Finnian – Clonard
• Bridget – Kildare
• Kevin – Glendalough
21. Life in an Irish Monastery
• Early Monastic sites based on the local tradition of ring
forts.
• Inside fort was a small church, cells the monks lived in,
guest house, refectory, high cross.
• Buildings were made of timber or wattle and daub though
stone buildings in the West (e.g. Skellig Michael)
• Life of Prayer (contemplation) and Confession
• studyied the Bible and various literature (e.g. philosophy)
• Taught illiterate people
• Copied sacred manuscripts
• Bookmaking, Irish manuscripts highly prized on continent
22. The difference between Irish
Monasticism and the Churches of St.
• Abbot has authority, not bishop Patrick
• Not restricted by territorial boundaries
• Expansionist, mother house/satellite houses
• Appearance of monks (Irish tonsure)
• Private confession, penance
• Dating of Easter: not innovation, archaism! (Synod of Whitby, 664)
• Reading the Bible – “historio-critical” not “allegorical”
Spirituality of Irish Monasticism:
• naturalism? (John Ryan)
• Charismatic (Brendan Bradhsaw) -remember the Patrick of Tierchan and Mierchu! – reminiscent
of the Book of Acts
• thought themselves totally orthodox, loyal to Rome!!
• Not “a dark age hippy colony inhabited by gentle gurus doing their own Christian thing
far removed from the stultifying influence of sub-Roman bishops and their dioceses”
(A. P. Smyth)
23. White Martyrdom
• Most famous: Kevin of
Glendalough, died c. 618
• Choosing exile from the
protection of the Kin
group was a
renouncement of identity
and a form of
martyrdom
• Strict discipline (nettle
bath, naked in ocean)
• highly valued the Bible,
especially the Gospels
• Coenobitic monasticism
didn’t prevail; communal
lifestyles emerged
24. Green Martyrdom, the “Peregrinito”
Columcille c. 521-597
• From a prominent branch of the Ui Neill’s
• Trained at Clonard
• In 563 left Derry for Scotland with 12
companions
• Granted land at Iona
• Launches evangelising mission to the Picts
• Part of Ui Neill expansion?
Columbanus c. 540-615
• Schooled in Fermanagh, a promising
scholar
• Spends many years with Comgall in
Bangor
• Set out as a missionary-pilgrim to the
Continent, formed many monasteries,
most fmaously Luxeil (France) and Bobbio
(Italy)
25.
26. Why was this type of monasticism
successful in the Celtic world?
Culturally relevant:
• Semi-nomadic: a people who
“had been, within all tribal
memory, on the move.”
(Kathleen Hughes)
• No towns
• Clientship, political expansion
• Fosterage
• Filid = scribes
• Functioned as cultural-political
centres
Nendrum, Co. Down
27. Land of saints and Scholars?
• From illiterate to the
most sought after Latin
scholars in Europe
• Compose immesnse
amount of manuscripts
in both Latin and
vernacular John Scotus Eriugena c.
• Develop Irish alphabet 815-77, considered the
most capable
• Technological philosopher/theologian
of the early Medieval
achievements period
(Nendrum mill) The Cathach of Columcille,
c. 560-600, the earliest
surviving folio in Irish script
29. Secularisation
• Political expediency ultimately trumps spiritual vibrancy
• Position of Abbot becomes hereditary post
• In the background with Columcille; until death of Adamnàn in
704 all the abbots of Iona were kin of Columcille’s. Kildare,
Clonmacnois and Clonard were all connected to powerful kin
groups.
• After split in Celtic Christianity with Synod of Whitby in 664,
no further contact with Rome, Irish church increasingly insular
• “Nasty” aspects of Celtic society persist
• The “golden age” ends with the first Viking foray into Ireland
on Rathlin in 795
30. St. Patrick, Identity and
Power Games
Shield of the Ui Neill,
Protestant Archbishop of Armagh,
St. Patrick’s cathedral
James Ussher’s book on the
Armagh John De Courcey, Carrickfergus similarities of ancient Irish religion
Castle, St. Patrick coin and Protestantism
31. Recommended Reading
T. M. Charles Edwards, Early Christian Ireland. Cambridge: University Press,
2000
Kathleen Hughes, Early Christian Ireland: Introduction to the Sources, London:
Hodder & Stoughton, 1972
Máire & Liam DePaor, Early Christian Ireland. London: Thames & Hudson,
1958
Louis Gougaud, Christianity in Celtic Lands. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1932
Liam de Paor, St. Patricks World. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1992
Brendan Bradshaw, “The Wild and Woolly West: Early Irish Christianity and
Latin Orthodoxy” in The Churches, Ireland and the Irish, Studies in Church
History no. 25. London: Ecclesiastical History Society, 1989
Thomas Cahill, How the Irish Saved Civilisation, New York, NY: Doubleday,
1995
James F. Kenney, The Sources for the Early History of Ireland: Ecclesiastical.
Dublin: Irish University Press, 1929
Dáibhí Ó Cróinin, (ed.). A New History of Ireland, I: Prehistoric and Early
Ireland. Oxford: University Press, 2005
St. Patricks Confessio: http://www.confessio.ie/#
