Early Christian Ireland

Question 1

Round tower

Answer 1

Monastery building used for storage, safety and calling monks to prayer

Question 2

Tonsure

Answer 2

The monks haircut where the crown of the head was shaved

Question 3

Crozier

Answer 3

Type of metal work, a curved staff used by bishops/priests

Question 4

Manuscripts

Answer 4

Hand written books

Question 5

Monastery

Answer 5

The site including all buildings where monks lived, prayed etc.

Question 6

High cross

Answer 6

Stone crosses which the monks created. Had detailed scenes from the Bible.

Question 7

Scriptorium

Answer 7

The room where the manuscripts were copied by scribes

Question 8

Filigree

Answer 8

Intricate gold writing on the metal work i.e chalice.

Question 9

Beehive hut

Answer 9

Small stone house where monks sometimes lived

Question 10

Scribe

Answer 10

The monk who copied manuscripts in the scriptorium.

Question 11

Chalice

Answer 11

Type of metalwork, used as in religious ceremonies

Question 12

Who did the monks replace

Answer 12

Monks replaced Druids

Question 13

What did monasteries become?

Answer 13

Monasteries belt, became centres of culture and learning

Question 14

What were the monk’s main focus?

Answer 14

Prayer (6–8 times daily)

Question 15

How many gods does Christianity believe in?

Answer 15

One God

Question 16

What was pre-Christian Ireland?

Answer 16

Pagan (many gods)

Question 17

What did monasteries produce?

Answer 17

Famous Works of art

Question 18

Where did scribes work and what did they do?

Answer 18

Scribes worked in scriptorium’s copying and illuminating manuscripts

Question 19

What did they use to write with and write on

Answer 19

using quills/reeds they worked on parchment/vellum using colour made from berries/leaves

Question 20

What is an example of a manuscript?

Answer 20

Book of kells

Question 21

What did Christianity bring to Ireland?

Answer 21

Literacy

Question 22

What was the first writing done on?

Answer 22

Ogham stones

Question 23

What did ogham writing consist of

Answer 23

Lines and marks based on 20 letter Latin alphabet

Question 24

What was the first writing?

Answer 24

The first writing was Latin, but soon manuscripts were written in Irish

Question 25

What are the works of art?

Answer 25

Chalices, manuscripts, crosses

Question 26

What are the buildings in a monastery?

Answer 26

Round tower, beehive, oratory, scriptorium

Question 27

What did missionaries do?

Answer 27

Initially missionaries e.g. Saint Patrick came to Ireland to establish Christianity as recorded in Saint Patrick’s confession

Question 28

What did Irish monks eventually do?

Answer 28

Eventually, Irish monks went abroad to establish monasteries, e.g Saint Colmcille

Question 29

What did the monks do when they went abroad to establish monasteries?

Answer 29

They spread the Irish style of manuscript, spread Christianity and converted non-Christians

Question 30

What was early Christian Ireland seen as in Irish learning ?

Answer 30

Golden age

Question 31

Who played the key part in the arrival of early Christian Ireland ?

Answer 31

Saint Patrick

Question 32

How has St. Patrick’s arrival influenced Irish identity?

Answer 32

Has become part of Ireland and helped to shape Irish identity

Question 33

Why has Irish identity been important in later years?

Answer 33

English rule and in modern day tourism it also helps to link the Irish Diaspora (people abroad that see themselves as Irish or part Irish).

Question 34

examples of Irish identity

Answer 34

Saint Patrick’s Day, Celtic cross, Shamrocks, Saint Bridgets Cross

Question 35

Example of an early Christian monastery

Answer 35

Skellig Michael

Question 36

Where are monasteries positioned?

Answer 36

In remote places for peace and quiet to become closer to God and Christianity

Question 37

Name one missionary from early Christian Ireland

Answer 37

Saint Colmcille went to Scotland