St.Patrick- Patrick grew up in
Roman Britain.At ages sixteen
he was kidnapped by irish
raiding parties and later was
bought by a man named
Milchu, who forced him to tend
to sheep in the mountains.
Patrick later escaped and
became a Priest, he returned to
Ireland around AD 432 to
spread Christianity .By the time
Patrick died (30 years later)
most of Ireland was Christian.
Six century onwards, many
monostries were set up all around
Ireland.In these monostries holy
men/Monks spent their lives praying,
working and studying.They lead a
very strict life-style.They ate little
food and wore uncomfortable Habit
made of course cloth.They did not
marry and they shaved the top of
their heads in what is called a
Tonsure.
Large monostries, such as
that at Clonmacnoise on the
River Shannon, were built
along important
routways.Others, like that at
Armagh, were built near the
homes of kings. But many
small monasteries, such as
that at Skellig Micheal, were
built in remote places. There
the Monks would lead
undisturbed, holy lives and
could work ,pray in peaceful
surroundings.
Monasteries
In a typical large monastery the
monks were self-sufficient. Many
large monasteries had many of
the same types of buildings. They
are mentioned down below.
Scriptorium-Where monks copied manuscripts.
Refectory- Where the monks gathered to eat.
Guest house-For any guests the monastery may have.
Oratory/Church- Where the monks gathered for mass or prayer.
Monastery farm- Most Monasteries
were self sufficient and got most of
their materials from farming such as
food, clothes, parchment(sheepskin)
and vellum(calfskin).
Cist graves- Where monks were buried.
The Abbot(head of the monastery) had his own house.
Cell/Hut- Where the monks lived.
Bank/Wall- Monasteries were
surrounded by a large wall to
protect from intruders.
Round Tower- Were used as a
storage place, it also housed a bell
to call the monks to mass. When
under attack the monks would
retreat to the round tower as the
door was high up and could only
be reached by a ladder inside the
tower.
Crannogs: Were small houses made of wattle and daub built on a lake with the only access being a bridge connected to the bank.
Some services provided by the monasteries
1)Monasteries were centres of
prayers and religion.
2)Some monks were skilled in the
use of herbs as medicines.They
provided health care for the sick.
3)Monasteries gave
alms(food and other
help)to the poor.
4)Some monasteries had
guesthouses. These offered
shelter and hospitality to
travellers at at time when
there were no hotels.
5)Some monks were among the very
few people who could read or write.
They often provided education for
boys and young men in religion, Latin,
Greek and other subjects.
Irish Monastic Art
Many monks produced great works of art to honour god.
Types:1)Manuscripts
2)Stone crosses
3)Metalwork
1)Manuscripts: Scribes produced beautiful
illuminated (coloured) pages on vellum(calfskin)
and parchment(sheepskin) using quills(goose
feathers).EX-Book of Kells.
2)Stone Crosses-The
monks used stone
crosses to explain
Christianity to people
who could not read
or write.
3)Metalwork:Monks made beautiful
objects out of metals. They made
Chalices and crosiers(bishops
staff).Book shrines were boxes that
held important books. Reliquaries
were boxes/shrines used to hold
precious relics. The Ardagh Chalice is
one of Irelands most precious
treasures. It is designed using Filigree
(gold writing).