March 9, 2007
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A (Very) Brief History; courtesy of the BBC
For much of the last million years, Ireland was buried and crushed underneath thick masses of ice. The story of Ireland really only gets interesting after the end of the Ice Age. At this time, Ireland was still connected by land to Britain and mainland Europe via land bridges. As the seas warmed and expanded, these land bridges began to disappear into the sea, and Ireland gradually assumed its present form. People arrived in Ireland 9,000 years ago and for many centuries afterwards people lived, loved, fought and died, but we know very little about them apart from the fact that they built some fairly impressive monuments like Newgrange and Knowth, and that they fashioned beautiful items from gold and silver.
The Celts
Then, about 2,500 years ago, the Celts invaded. They introduced many things that persist to this day, including their language1, their games, their music, and a typically Irish attitude towards life. It appears that they were seen from the outside as a scary group of people, because the Romans gave them a wide berth, despite their partial occupation of Britain during the 1st Century AD.
Christianity (5th Century AD)
However, the influence of Roman Britain was to make its mark in a very different way. It arrived by means of a preacher called Patrick, and he brought Christianity with him. Very soon, the people of Ireland had taken the religion to their hearts. Christianity became the dominant religion of the entire island, so much so, that it became the island’s greatest export. Ireland became known as a land of saints and scholars, a creative land with great relics, majestic books, and magnificent golden ornaments. In other words, a nice easy target for anyone with a bent for looting and plundering.
Jimmish editorial: It was this very characteristic of the semi-isolated (from Europe and England) isle which led to what author Cahill refers to as the salvation of western civilization. In Ireland’s monasteries and universities knowledge and Christianity flourished, while the rest of Europe spiraled into the superstition and ignorance of the Dark Ages. Ireland literally “kept alight the flame”, and re-infused it into the rest of the world.
When mankind dwelt in darkness drear
and grimly daily trod
’twas Patrick and his Irish kin
brought back the hope of God.
© james smallish 3/9/07
Comments (9)
Top o’ the mornin’ to ye, me “little brother,” and may the wind be at your back and all the blessings of God be with you as you cross the double nickel border this fine day. C’mon on in, the water’s downright fine!
Aye now, and I’ve read the post – wonderful! ‘Tis glad to be Irish I am!
Good post Jimmish…I love the backround, awesome display of God’s creation!
Mike
I did not know this information about Ireland’s history. Thanks for sharing.
Great to have you back!!
Have a great weekend!
Connie
Welcome back…I liked the history on Ireland too…have a good one…Smile
I am sorry about the million posts yesterday. Sorry. I know how it happened the second time. I was waiting a long time for it to submit, so thought I would type something else….(I only submitted once that time.) Apparently every time I pushed the space bar down it submitted.
Do you believe the earth is a million years old? According to scripture I’m not sure…course one day is as a thousand years so…..
Very interesting. I do think there is something special about the culture and music of Ireland and the British Isles.
Thanks for your kind comments.
Hi! Jim, I liked the Irish Rovers! And your background too, beautiful!