Early Christian Ireland Flashcards
What period is referred to as Early Christian Ireland?
The period when Christianity first came to Ireland.
By which century had the Roman Empire spread to Britain?
By the third century AD.
What is the first official source about Christianity in Ireland dated?
AD 431.
Who was sent to the Irish who believed in Christ in AD 431?
Bishop Palladius.
Who is the most famous bishop to travel to Ireland?
St Patrick.
At what age was St Patrick brought to Ireland as a slave?
16 years old.
What did St Patrick do after escaping to Britain?
He returned to Ireland as a bishop to spread Christianity.
During which years did St Patrick work mainly in the north of Ireland?
432 to 461.
What book did St Patrick write that provides insight into his life and work?
St Patrick’s Confessio.
What did St Patrick claim to have done in his Confessio?
He ‘baptised thousands’ and ‘ordained clerics everywhere’.
What festival became absorbed into Christianity, becoming Hallowe’en?
Samhain.
What is a monastery?
A closed religious community where Christians live apart from society.
What term is used for men who dedicate themselves to a religious order in a monastery?
Monks.
What are women who devote themselves to God in closed communities called?
Nuns.
Where was the first Irish monastery founded and by whom?
Inis Mór, founded by St Enda.
Around what year was the first Irish monastery founded?
Around 500 AD.
Name one other saint who founded a monastery in Ireland.
St Ciarán, St Colmcille, or St Brendan.
Fill in the blank: St Patrick began to convert the pagan Celts to _______.
Christianity.
True or False: Early Irish monasteries were open to the general public.
False.
What term refers to the religious communities where nuns live?
Convents.
What major historical event does the rock at Down Cathedral mark?
The burial site of St Patrick.
What kind of lives did the monks lead?
The monks lived very strict, simple lives and spent their days praying and working.
How many times did the monks pray each day?
They prayed six to eight times every day.
What types of farm work did the monks do?
Farm work included ploughing, milking, harvesting, and grinding corn.
Were the monks self-sufficient?
Yes, the monks were often self-sufficient - they produced all the food they needed.
What role did monasteries play in education?
Monasteries became centres of learning, and Irish monasteries were famous for teaching poetry, literature, arts, and the Gospel.
What was Ireland known as due to its monasteries?
Ireland became known as ‘the Land of Saints and Scholars’.
Name some large monasteries in Ireland.
Large monasteries included Clonard, Kells, Clonmacnoise, Glendalough, and Clonfert.
Where was a small monastery located?
A small monastery was located on Skellig Michael in Co. Kerry.
What is a beehive hut?
A beehive hut is a small stone hut, shaped like a beehive, where a monk slept.
Why was soil brought from the mainland to Skellig Michael?
Soil had to be brought from the mainland to plant and grow food.
What was the benefit of the extreme isolation of the monks?
The extreme isolation meant that monks could better focus on God and work.
What are the components of a typical Early Christian Ireland monastery layout?
The layout included an oratory, scriptorium, refectory, guesthouses, fields, cemetery, round tower, and wall.
What is an oratory?
An oratory is a church made of wood or stone where monks attended Mass or prayed.
What is a scriptorium?
A scriptorium is a room where manuscripts were copied by hand and illustrated by scribes.
What is a refectory?
A refectory is where the monks ate their meals.
