Early Christian IrelandHow did Christianity come to Ireland?

•5th century Celts in Ireland became Christians

•Druids lost their power•Pagan traditions continued alongside

Christianity•Christian church adapted to the customs

of the Celts

How did Christianity come to Ireland?• The Romans ruled most of Europe when Christ lived.

• In AD 43 they conquered Britain

• AD 312 Christianity spread rapidly throughout the lands ruled by the Romans

• The Romans never ruled Ireland

• Some historians believed there were some Christians in Ireland before AD 430

• Could be traders from Roman Britain, settled over Leinster

Who was St. Patrick• Young Patrick lived in Roman Britain, his family

were Christians

• We think he came to Ireland between AD 430 and 490

• He was captured by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a farmer in Co. Antrim

• After 6 years he escaped from Ireland

• He became a priest and returned as a missionary to convert the Irish people to Christians

St. Patrick

St. Patrick• We know this because he wrote two books: The Confession: account of his life in Ireland and

explains why he came to preach Christianity to the Irish A letter to the Soldiers of King Coroticus: Patrick wrote

this book asking Coroticus, a king in Britain to stop the raids of Irish people and selling them as slaves.

The Confession tells us how he baptised thousands and ordained clerics everywhere

The Celts didn't accept this new religion straight away because he wrote that he lived in ‘daily expectation of murder, treachery or captivity.’

St. Patrick•Even after Ireland became Christian, they still

lived the same way as they always had done

•The tuath still ruled by a ri•However the power of the druids ended,

Christians priests and bishops gradually replaced them

•After, St. Patrick died he became a hero

Early Christian Monasteries•During the third century, some people

believed that they could get closer to God by devoting their lives to prayer in remote places

•Some lived alone•Others went in small groups who shared their

wish to dedicate their lives to God•They became known as monks (men) and

nuns (women)•They lived in monasteries

Monastery Monk

Monks•Followed strict rules•Produced their own food•Wore long tunics with woolen cloaks, and

shoes and sandals

Round TowersRound Towers were built in some monasteries at this time, and were used for storage and safety.

Work•The main work was prayer, they had 6-8

services a day but most of the other work was done on a farm

•Monks were also famous for their works of art, as well as producing manuscripts and metal works

Celtic Monasteries Examples1. Inis Mor: first Irish monastery in Ad

490 by St. Enda on Inis Mor. Place of learning

2. St. Brigid: women set up monasteries, St. Brigid of Kildare, stories of myths and legends.