Reencaheragh Cottage
Portmagee, County Kerry
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Reencaheragh Cottage Portmagee, County Kerry |
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The History That Surrounds Us - Part I
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The History That Surrounds Us Portmagee, Barony of Iveragh, County Kerry PART II - Early-Christian period Welcome to the early historical period of Ireland, where evidence beyond archeological remains shed a much brighter light on the history that surrounds us in Kerry. Irish society, with its unique history and customs, readily accepted the teachings of the Christian missionaries starting around 400 CE. Based on this, Irish society and culture underwent some significant changes. At the same time, the Church in Ireland developed its own character, different in many ways from the one found on the continent. Irish Society in 400 CE What was Ireland like when St. Patrick arrived in the early 400’s? The Irish lived in small rural communities, and their society in 400 CE was tribal and hierarchical. In other words, a person’s family, property and status were paramount. The Irish lived in a rural subsistence economy with no cities or even towns. Ireland was not settled by the Romans, so Irish society was very different from others ruled by the Romans in the prior centuries – there was no central government, for example.
There was also no writing in Ireland at this time, although there was a comprehensive and uniform legal system across the land, different from one established by the Romans everywhere else in Europe. In Ireland, for instance, laws were enforced locally and were based on a system of compensation, not punishment. This legal system was retained and refined by a learned class that had a special place in society. Members of this class included poets, druids, legal scholars (brehons, or brithemin) and historians (senchaid).
The tribal element of Irish society at this time was very important. People lived their entire lives surrounded by members of their kin-group (fine), under the larger umbrella of the local kingdom (tuath). Outside of those realms, a person had little protection under the laws and customs in force. The one exception was the brehons, poets and other members of the learned class, who enjoyed reverence and hospitality as they traveled throughout the land. This custom provided for a uniform legal and social system in an otherwise decentralized society. Monasteries How was the Christian church organized in these
early years? The early Church in Ireland was established through
monasteries, as opposed to the current diocesan system run by bishops. For
the first 600 years or so, the important churches in Ireland were
monasteries that were primarily self-ruled by an abbot who may not have
been a priest or bishop. Christian monasticism had its roots in Egypt in the first few centuries after Jesus. Monks sought refuge in the desert, in the belief that union with God could best be attained by withdrawal from civilization into harsh and isolated surroundings. There they lived solitary lives of prayer, meditation and fasting. Their extreme asceticism attracted followers. Over time, many of these monastic settlements developed into much more communal places, and were very much integrated into their local (and usually rural) communities.
This pattern was followed in Ireland. There are many possible explanations, but the main reason is that monastic settlements and practices fit well into the Irish culture. For example, the Irish probably saw the extreme asceticism practiced by monks as a sign of holiness, especially their willingness to leave the protective realms of their kin-groups. In addition, many monastic settlements were located near sacred places, such as certain trees, wells, boundaries and megaliths. As holy men, the monks provided spiritual services such as interceding with God on behalf of the locals, to protect and heal. Moreover, many monasteries became centers of learning as part of their missionary work, and thus the monks were held in high esteem similar to the existing learned class already well established in Irish society. Also, the decentralized system run by local abbots worked well in Ireland which was a decentralized society at this time. One notable monastery in Kerry that was founded in this period is Inisfallen, in Loch Lein near Killarney. This monastery was a great center of learning, and produced important historical writings recording the early history of Ireland, called the Annals of Inisfallen. These and other annals are a main source of information on Ireland at this time. Brian Boru, the famous King of Ireland in 1000 CE, is reputed to have been educated here.
What was life like in these monasteries? The monasteries emphasized prayer, fasting, celibacy and manual labor as part of the ascetic lifestyle. The monks’ diet consisted mainly of bread, milk, eggs and fish. The exceptions were on Wednesdays and Fridays, which were fast days, and Sundays and certain holy days, when they ate meat with local guests who joined in the feast.
The monks also spent time memorizing scripture, especially the psalms.
They were governed by an extensive set of rules and associated
punishments, called penitentials. Younger monks would have anmchara
, older monks that served as mentors, tutors and confessors. Over time, most monasteries became involved in educational activities, and along with that became more integrated into the local community. For instance, copying of manuscripts became important, and the “scribe” was a top monastic scholar. These scholars also provided education services, which attracted the interest of local nobles. Monasteries were also a place where religious professionals practiced, which had certain attraction to the local community. In our
area, you are likely to see the remains of an oratory instead of a church,
such as Temple Cashel in The Glen. The best-preserved early Christian
oratory in Ireland is at Gallarus, on the Dingle peninsula. The oratories
are quite small indicating that monks celebrated the rites inside
exclusively. Monastic
settlements also had cells for the monks, some special place for the
saint’s relics – an inner sanctuary accessible only by the monks (or
fee-paying nobles), and a graveyard, including a special/restricted spot
for the founding saint. Many also contain standing slabs and pillars
(after the native custom of standing stones) with various designs –
crosses of several varieties, Chi-Rho diagrams, swastikas, knots and
curvilinear forms. At the larger monasteries from this and later periods, you may also see the remains of a refectory (dining room), a kitchen, a library/scriptorium, a workshop and a forge. Some monasteries were largely self-sustaining, but many were very much a part of the local community and relied on the locals for their earthly goods. Eremetical Sites These are a type of monastic settlement that remained isolated from society, and many of such sites in Ireland are found in our area in Kerry. The crown jewel of early Christian eremetical sites in Europe is just off-shore from Portmagee – Skellig Michael.
Skellig Michael was clearly chosen as an eremetical
site due to its remote location seven miles off-shore. The settlement
itself was even more isolating, located at the highest point on the north
peak – 700 feet above sea level. If there is a place meant be one to get
close to God in this part of the world, Skellig Michael is it.
It is believed to have been founded by an abbot and
12 monks sometime in the 500s or 600s CE. The abbot was St. Fionan Cam,
who founded a number of other monastic settlements in Kerry. Here, the
determined monks and their leader carved more than 600 steps into the
steep mountainous terrain 700 feet up to the top, where they built their
oratory. They also built seven dry-stone huts, a series of cisterns and
garden plots. With just these very basic necessities for existence, this settlement provided an austere hermit lifestyle for a small group of monks for more than 600 years. Another well-preserved eremetical site is on Illaunloughan island in Portmagee harbor as you walk along the beach into the village, pictured below. Due to the proximity to the mainland, this monastic settlement site was likely of the type that interacted regularly with the local populace, exchanging spiritual and educational services for food and clothing. In the picture you can see the remains of an oratory on the upper left, a gable shrine below it and dwellings to the right. Underneath the gable shrine are the remains of several deceased which pre-date the Christian era, indicating an earlier, sacred focus of the island.
Holy Wells The veneration of water sources is an ancient
tradition in many parts of the world. In Ireland, a belief in the sacred
character and curative powers of certain wells and springs was probably
well-established in pre-Christian times, and the custom was carried
forward after arrival of the Christian missionaries. For example, early church sites were frequently
established near holy wells. Examples in our area are Killabounia (The Glen) and Kildreelig (Bolus Head). Most wells are
associated with a saint, and in the 1800’s they were the sites of
pilgrimages (called “patterns”) and devotions on their feast day. A major pattern was held locally at St. Micheal’s well,
Dungegan started there and went to two wells in The Glen and then to
Coomanaspig just up the hill from the cottage.
Holy wells
had a variety of customs and folklore. Some offered cures, such as at
Glanleam (rheumatism) and Killurly West (eye diseases). Others provided
the possibility of even greater benefits, such as at Cloon West and
Coolmagort, where if you saw the sacred fish swimming in the well, your
prayers would be answered. Others were sites of pilgrimage on the ancient
festivals such as Lughnasa, the celtic harvest festival (Knocknadobar and
Drung Hill).
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