Irish History: Origins, Christianity, Vikings, and Cultural Nationalism

Irish History Overview

• England held Ireland "as Germany holds Belgium today, by the right of the sword" (de Valera, 1918)
• Edward Carson: Ireland as "my country"
• Nationalism WITHOUT totalitarism (Hobsbawm 1994)
• Parallels with Italy
• Last EU's member whose main language is English

The island of Ireland is composed of 4 provinces (Ulster in the north, Connaught in the west, Munster in the south and Leinster in east). There provicens are only geographical region. Ireland actually include more than one autority; North Ireland still belong to United Kingdom under the crown, the other lands belongs to the indipendent state of Repubblic of Ireland. The country is composed by 26 counties (another 6 counties belong to Northen Ireland). The main city in Ireland is the capital: Dublin. Belfast is the capital of Northen Ireland (officialy the British capital is London so Belfast is only the amministrative capital of Northen Ireland).

The Origins of Irish Culture

• The combination of myths, legends, history and folklore is on the base of Irish culture and language.
• Romans never conquired Ireland.
• The celtic conquest dates back to the second half of the first millenium BC (Before Christ).
• The celts came from south-east Europe and had settled in the centre of Europe, as suggested archaelogical sites in Austria and Switzerland.

Christianity in Ireland

• In 431 AD (Annus Domini), Palladius (deacon at Auxerre) was sent to Ireland as a bishop to evangelise the territory.
• The leading figure of Christianity in Ireland is St. Patrick. He was taken in Ireland as a slave, but he managed to escape. The idea of coming back and christianize Ireland kept haunting him.What crhistianity bring to (change in) Ireland?

The main implication was linguistic but also cultural. Christianity brings latin into Ireland (romans never conquered Irish land, they didn't like the cold on the island); it's important because celtic culture was almost exclusively oral culture (very rarely they used writing). The only evidence of a pre-Latin language since V century AD was Ogham: a language of lines and notches cut on the edge of stones, which was originally used to write the early Irish language. These stones had a commemorative purpose (they were used to remember person, like a tombstone). Tuath: clans who lived in Ireland with an elected chief. The stories of this figure were only orals, Latin permitted the trascription of these events. The main social figure was the family (after the fourth generation they created a Tuath). The Ogham was probably invented by an important king but this is only a supposed legend.

Catholic Variant Success

The cultural impact remains a mistery for historians and journalists. Celtics didn't used to build temples. The catholic Church bring christianity in others countries like Spain or Poland and in Ireland the impact of catholicism was very strong; there wasn't any conflict between celtics and crhistians, their convivence was peacefull (no martyrs in the early Irish church). The romans catholic church has a hierarchy that in Ireland didn't existed. The romans catholic system didn't imposed itself since the mid-twelfth. The religions was spread by monks and abbondts who created autonomous monasteries. There was no central authority; there were no dioceses until the twelfth century. Thus the monks, instead of going and spreading the word or doing battle against pagan druids, spent time copying out manuscripts, or writing down stories from pagan times, incorporating Christianity with what came before, making gods and goddesses into saints.

The Golden Age of Irish Monasticism

Between the sixth and the seventh century, Irish monastic culture developed. A period of great flowering in arts and culture; were created: jewels, metal work and ornaments (for example bracelets) but also manuscripts (usually called "golden manuscripts" because they had a golden part) by the spreading of calligraphy. Ireland became a cultural site: Latins imported subjects and spreaded their knowledge to the locals (people from other countries moved to Ireland to learn). The cultural heritage won't be so strong like in this period ever. E. G. Clonmacnoise, founded in 544 AD, was to become a major centre for religion, learning and craftmanship.

The Vikings in Ireland

The vikings raid against the catholic community of Ireland: they plundered the coastal areas of the British Ireland as of the late eighth century. Vikings used to take from monasteries: slaves, food and plunder. This actions had a consequence on the Irish golden age: the proliferation of culture ended. Vikings were kicked out by a coalition of Irish kings at the beginning of 1000'.

The Anglo-Normans and English Settlement

Until the late twelfth century, Ireland wasn't a state any way. Its territory was suddivided into various petty kingdom (usually in war). In the attempt to fulfil his aspiration to the High Kingship of Ireland, Dermot McMurrough (king of Leinster) called out Henry II of England for help. Henry II accepted to help Dermot. This led to the early English settlement, which changed the course of Irish history forever. The pope Alexander III had interests in English spedition because the roman catholic system wasn't implemented in the area yet: he wanted to increas his power in the area.

Early English Settlement (Late 12th-Early 16th Century)

This is a period where the linguistic culture change; it's the first time that English is importend in Ireland. English was established on the east coast in a band from Dublin down to Waterford. English was above all present in the towns; Anglo-Normans and, of course, Irish in the countryside. Two Irelands long co-existed:

a) On the hand, the Old English, who spoke and were loyal to English legal procedures; b) On the other hand, the Irish natives, living in primitive (and rural) houses, devoted to rudimentary forms of pastoralism and living on a poor diet. They peacefully co-existed (for example English married natives, Irish started to learn English and English started to learn celtic language).

DATA 12/10

READING COMPREHENSION

Questions:

1. What's "La Tène" and how did it originate?
2. The production of objects by Celtics craftsmen was influenced by stylistic traditions found in Britain. True or false?
3. Can you name at least three objects of a religious kind produced by Irish craftsmen?
4. What is the "Tara brooch"? What does its front look like?
5. What were the main targets of Viking raids? Why?

Answers:

1. The "La Tène" was a classic celtic art and style, developed during the European Iron Age. It takes name from a Switzerland's site where it was first recogniced during the nineteenth century.
2. True. By the first century B.C., Irish craftsmen were producing objects of exceptional quality, probably influenced by stylistics traditions founded in Britain.
3. Chalices, patens and relics.
4. It's a silver-gift (placcato d'argento) brooch which is remarkable for the sumptuousness (sontuosità) and variety of its decoration and for detail and quality of its workmanship. Its front displays animal and plain interlace patterns executed in gold filigree wire, as well as cast birds and animals, and settings for amber and glass.
5. The main targets of Vikings's raid were: plunder, food and slaves.

The Onset of the Colonial Pattern (Sixteenth Century)

• With the Protestant Reformation, the English Crown became diplomatically isolated.
• Plantation schemes were introduced as a principally geopolitical instrument. Directed by the Government and aimed at bringing a large number of immigrants from Scotland and England to Ulster and Munster, plantations were designed to counter the menace of Catholic Ireland as in the event of alliances with Catholic France or Spain. With the mass introduction of immigrants from the Great Britain's in Ireland, modifided the cultural and linguistic heritage.
• Land was confiscated by the English Crown to the benefit of Protestant settlers, while the Irish were forced to move to the west or deported to the Caribbean.

DATA 13/10

The Seventeenth Century

• 1601: Hugh O'Neill, from one of the last Gaelic dynasties, and Spanish King Philip III's army, were defeated by English troops at Kinsale. He was a very ambitious man and he sweared allegiance to the English queen Elisabeth I. The queen gave him the title of earl of Tyrone.
• 1641: Resentment at the systematic loss of property and social prestige resulted in Catholic insurgence. Over 2,000 Protestant settlers were killed. This is not a national insurgency beacause the idea of an indipendent Ireland was absolutely out of discussion; England contiuned to excersise dominion. English take part to military spedition on the Irish island.
• 1641-1649: Oliver Cromwell retaliated. Resistance to military authority was eliminated. Priests and Catholic landowners were removed and the entire structure of the Irish Catholic Church was undermined.
• 1685: James II, Catholic, was crowned King of England. His plan was to restore Catholics to pubblic affairs and convence a Dublin parliament with mainly Catholic members.
• 1688-1691: The Williamite War William, Prince of Orange, defeated James's Irish troops and their French allies. A Protestant, he then became King and restored Protestant supremacy across the Kingdom. Louis XIV (cousin of James II and King of France) sent generals and soldiers to help James II which tried to restore his power winning battle by battle since the city of Aughrim. It was a strategic site to attack where James and his soldiers were fired (the city was besiege for 105 days).

Ascendancy Rule (Eighteenth Century)

• The Ascendancy was the elite of landowning Protestants that ruled Ireland in the wake of the Williamite War. Roy Foster described the Ascendancy as not a very cultural élite but they liked to organise party. Most of the architetture of Dublin is from this period.
• The Penal Laws: it was a legislation that descriminated Catholics; it didn't permitted Catholics to married Protestants, it excluded Catholics from the university (the only university in Ireland was Trinity College, in Dublin), Catholics were deprived of voting right, Catholic couldn't buy land or inherit (ereditare) Protestant land and only Protestant landowners were allowed to sit in Parliament.

The Early Days of Nationalist Politics

• 1780: The society of the United Irishmen was founded in Belfast. A middle-class sophisticated association, it included Catholic and Protestant trademen, lawyers and political reformers. It succesfully forged links with agrarian resentmen.
• 1798: Rising. The United Irishmen staged a rebellion. This was eventually quelled but the Irish secured resounding victories in the South of Ireland (e.g. Vinegar Hill, Wexford). The first national rising in Irish history? Illuminismo = enlightenment

The Union

• 1800: The Dublin Parliament passed the Act of Union. The Irish Parliament was abolished: Irish MPs (members of parliament) were henceforward to sit in Westminster.
• In return for the abolition of the national parliament, the Irish were granted political representation in London.
• This marked the beginning of the Irish parliamentary tradition.

DATA 19/10

Daniel O'Connell (1775 - 1847)

He was the champion of catholic Irish rapresentation in Parliament. He was named the "Liberator".

• Daniel O' Connel, a catholic lawyer, built a popular mass movement orchestrated by the Catholic Association. O' Connel rebuilt the association and moved the mass of Irish who didn't care about politic beacause they were excluded by parliament rapresentation.
• For the first time in history (1820s - 1830s), Ireland's Catholic were politically mobilised.
• Through the Catholic Relief Act, 1829, Ireland's Catholics were granted the right to political representation at Westminster. This completed the process known as "Catholic Emancipation."
• O'Connell's movement demanded political rights through democratic means as well as the repeal (abrogare) of the Act of Union (1800). He searched help by the Wighs (actual labour party).