Summary: Spread of Christianity
Key dates:
Christianity had come to Ireland as early as the mid 4th century. St Patrick set out on his mission about 432AD and was working in Ireland from about 460 for thirty years. From then Ireland became a Christian country, although the Druids lingered for a century or two.
The early church was an Episcopalian church and the first Christian dioceses were mapped out on the lands of various Celtic clans. Each clan had its own bishop and priests. At first they were allowed to marry. These clergy shaved their heads and wore tunics to distinguish them from the pagans.
With the decline of the Roman Empire, the barbarians wrecked many religious sites and it was Irish missionaries that did much to bring people on the continent back to Christianity. One of the most famous missionaries was ColmChille (known as Columba) who founded the monastery at Iona about 562AD. From there St Aiden travelled to Northumbria to convert people there and he founded the settlement at Lindisfarne. St Brigid founded the monastery at Kildare and Columbanus, who studied at Bangor, went to France about 590 and founded settlements at Luxueil and Fontaine.
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