Early Christian Ireland

Monasteries Work
Skellig Michael Art – the chathach
Inishmurray The book of Durrow
Beehive huts The book of Kells
Small stone church Scribes
Larger monasteries – Clonmacnoise Wax tablets
Glendalough Vellum (calf)
Buildings – circular bank or wall Parchment (sheep)
Church Quills
Refectory Ink
Scriptorium Filigree
Guest house Ardagh chalice
Single cells Muireadach’s cross
Cist graves Irish monks abroad – Iona
Round towers – 25-40m Lindisfarne
Door high up off ground Bobbio
Windows facing all directions

There were Christians in Ireland by the early fifth century. In the sixth century
and after, many monasteries were built in Ireland. The largest monasteries,
such as Clonard, Kells, Clonmacnoise, Glendalough and Clonfert, were built
along important routes. But there were also small, remote monasteries built
on islands off the west coast of Ireland. The most famous of these was Skellig
Michael, off the coast of co. Kerry. Here the monks lived in small stone
beehive huts beside a small stone church. In larger monasteries, the
buildings were surrounded by a circular bank or wall, similar to a ring-fort.
The main building was the church. Other buildings included the abbot’s
house, the refectory (where the monks ate together), the scriptorium (where
manuscripts were copied) and the guesthouse for visitors. The monks lived in
single cells. The monks were buried in simple graves dug in the ground, or in
stone cist graves. Round towers were built in some monasteries, such as
Glendalough and Clonmacnoise. They were stone towers between 25 and 40
metres tall. The door was high above the ground and was reached by a
ladder. At the top of the tower, there were four windows, facing north, south,
east and west. The main activity of the monks was prayer. The monasteries
produced manuscript books. These included the Cathach, the Book of Durrow
and the Book of Kells. Some monks developed great skills in writing and
illuminating the religious books. These monks were called scribes. They
practised their skills on wax tablets. The manuscripts were then copied by the
scribes in the scriptorium on vellum or parchment. The monks used reeds or
quills – the tail feathers of geese or swans – to write. The ink was produced
from minerals, plants and leaves. Monks also produced fine silver chalices,
crosiers and books decorated with gold, amber and enamel. The intricate
gold wiring was called filigree. The Ardagh chalice is made of silver and
decorated with bronze, gold and glass studs. The monks also carved high
stone crosses. A very good example of the skilled work of the stone carvers is
Muireadach’s cross in Monasterboice, co. Louth. St Columcille, who founded
monasteries in Derry and Durrow, went to Scotland to found the monastery of
Iona.