Chapet 4: Early Christian Ireland Flashcards
(31 cards)
Who wrote about Pallidius?
A Roman writer called Prosper Tiro.
Who was Pallidius?
A bishop who was sent to Ireland in 431AD.
Who was the most famous Christian missionary to arrive in Ireland?
St. Patrick.
What happened to St. Patrick when he was 16?
He was captured by an Irish warrior during a raid and brought to Ireland as a slave.
When did St. Patrick escape Ireland and what did he do?
6 years after being captured by the Irish, he returned home and became a priest.
Why did the Druids not welcome Christianity?
It led to the decline of their importance.
Why did St. Patrick return to Ireland and in what year?
He claimed that he heard voices telling him to covert the Irish to Christianity in 432AD.
How did St. Patrick set about converting the Irish to Christianity?
He converted the Kings and nobles first, in the hope that the rest of the tuath would follow in their lead.
When did St. Patrick die?
461AD.
When were monasteries first set up?
Around 50 years after St. Patrick’s death, in around 510AD.
Where was the first monastery in Ireland set up?
On Inis Mór on the Aran Islands by St. Enda.
Why were monasteries situated in isolated areas?
So there would be no distraction, and the monks could live a peaceful life, full of prayer.
What were some of the main buildings in a monastery?
An oratory-a small rectangular church-, a round tower, a refectory-where meals were eaten-, a scriptorium-where manuscripts were copied- and the monks lived in beehive huts.
Name two areas where round towers still stand.
Glendalough, Co. Wicklow and Ardmore, Co. Waterford.
What was written in manuscripts?
Gospel, psalms and stories of Celtic heroes(sagas)
What is the most famous manuscript in Ireland and where was it found?
The Book of Kells, which was found in Kells, Co. Meath.
Where is the Book of Kells kept, and what century is it from?
It is kept in Trinity College, Co. Dublin and it if from the eighth or ninth century.
What is in the Book of Kells?
The four gospels
What are high crosses, and what were they used for?
They are highly decorative stone crosses used to mark graves or placed in the middle of a monastic settlement.
Name an example of a high cross.
St. Muireadach’s Cross, in Munasterboice, which is divided in panels depicting scenes from the bible.
Who were the most skilled crafters of all?
Metalworkers.
How were chalices decorated?
With coloured stone and gold wire.
What is filgree work?
The art of twisting and weaving gold wires.
What were the monks robes made from?
Coarse, undyed wool, from which white tunics, a cape and a hood were made from.
