Geography

Ireland is an Island in the North Atlantic. It is the most westerly of the European countries. Ireland is a small nation; the land is about the size of Massachusetts or West Viriginia. However, the jagged coast has almost 3,000 miles of coast line and no point in the country is further than 70 miles from the ocean.

It's climate is moderated by the gulf stream and results in very moderate temperatures with only slight variance. The winter temperatures hover in the mid to high 30's. In the summer, temperatures linger in the 60's.

Areas in the south west part Ireland can experience (light) rain for 330 days a year! In Dublin, we average rain 3 out of 5 days. Ireland is often overcast and windy. In the winter, 50-70 mile hour gusts are not unusual. Warm sunny days are especially treasured by the Irish, and for good reason!

The scenery on the western side of the country is spectacular. Rugged cliffs, mist shrouded mountains and extensive bogs provide a sight to behold! If you visit, don't forget your camera. The scenery turns most tourists into an "ace" photographer.

Historical

The Pre-Historic Era

Irish History goes back 4,500 years, to around the time of Noah. Newgrange and other burial tombs from this period reveal a relatively advanced civilization. The early inhabitants knowledge of astronomy, physics, chemistry and building techniques was stunning.

The National Archives possesses fascinating artifacts from this period including jewelry, pottery and hunting apparatus.

The Patrician Era

Before Patrick came onto the scene in the 5th century AD, Ireland was under the rule of Druids. The high annual rainfall produces lots of bogs in Ireland. The bogs are acidic and have preserved early remains amazingly well. These remains reveal that during the early period of Ireland's history life was cheap. Cruelty and brutality were a very real part of life in pre Christian Ireland.

After being kidnapped in a slave raiding party off the western coast of England, Patrick, the slave, was forced into manual labor, tending sheep. On the cold, rainy slopes, he remembered the spiritual teaching of his earthly father and was converted. Shortly thereafter, he escaped and returned to England. While there, he heard God call him back to Ireland, to share the gospel with them. He returned and an amazing work of God ensued. Patrick left 2 extant writings, one of which is his confessions, as well as a few hymns. There is not evidence of Patrick being a Catholic in what he has left us. Patrick was a saved man and gave testimony to God's saving grace. Others were ministering the gospel to the Irish, though Patrick is the most well known.

After the age of Patrick, we see the Celtic church existing in monastic communities. The communities became advanced centers of learning, being versed in Biblical Greek and Hebrew. The Irish used letters, even before their English brethren. Thomas Cahill makes the point that were it not for the monasteries in Ireland, much of the learning from antiquity would have been lost when the Gauls sacked Rome. Missionaries were sent from Ireland to Europe, with the scriptures that had been carefully copied in the monasteries.

The Dark Ages

The monasteries eventually became rich and powerful and thus targets for thieves. The Vikings, and the Irish themselves, repeatedly plundered the monasteries. At the end of the first Millennia, we see the Catholic continental orders beginning to arrive, such as the Dominicans and Franciscans. With them came the large stone Abbeys and Monasteries that dot the Irish countryside.

Catholicism became increasingly intrenched in Ireland in succeeding centuries. Patrick has been claimed by the Catholics. Other prominent early Christians have also been brought into the Catholic fold with no evidence of them being Catholic.

The Reformation

During the reformation, very little gospel work was done in Ireland. Though a small minority of Englishmen sought to preach the gospel to the Irish, the major thrust was to conquer and civilize them. While the gospel flourished in nearby England and among the Scottish transplants in Northern Ireland, amazingly, the rest of the country became a stronghold for Catholicism.

The Catholic church gained a very strong degree of control over the Irish people. Priests were highly influential in the lives of the Irish, from everyday life in the villages to the corridors of power in Dublin. For the most part, the Irish were left without the gospel, spiritually impoverished by a ruling clergy who cared little for them. Catholics, by far the majority in Ireland, were not permitted to openly practice their faith until the mid 1800's.

The Victorian Era

Anglicanism, English Catholicism with a sprinkling of gospel amongst her members, went into decline around this time. Various Bible versions, German rationalism, ecumenicism and evolution began to take their tolls. Eventually, mixed marriages between catholics and anglicans were required to be performed in the Catholic church, with an agreement between the husband and wife to raise the children catholic. The remaining 14% of the Protestant population was further reduced by those who left when Ireland became autonomous.

The 20th Century

The 20th century found the Catholic church in a dominant position in Ireland. Abuses by by deviant priests and monks were endemic, as has been revealed by the recent Ryan report and others. Thousands have recently left the Catholic church.