The growth of Irish monasteries
I can describe how the monasteries of Ireland grew in importance.
The growth of Irish monasteries
I can describe how the monasteries of Ireland grew in importance.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- By the early 6th century, monasteries began to be set up across Ireland.
- At first, these were meant as places for Christians to retreat to and dedicate their lives to God.
- They were often in remote, hard to reach places like the island of Skellig Michael.
- Many monasteries, though, attracted the patronage of kings and the rich and grew in both size and importance.
- They were centres for the teaching of poetry, literature, and the arts and produced manuscripts like the Book of Kells.
Common misconception
Pupils may think monasteries were only a place for prayer.
Monasteries were places for learning and culture where people could pray, study the bible and create things.
Keywords
Monastery - a monastery is a building lived in by a community of monks who follow religious vows
Patronage - patronage is the support given by a person to another person, organisation or cause, usually involving money
Monk - a monk is a member of a community of men living under religious vows
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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