A Sacred Island before Christianity

Leixlip History Club

A Sacred Island before Christianity by Alf Monaghan is a follow up to his previous talk, Monastic Ireland – A Gift of the Nile! held in Leixlip Library in November 2023.

About the talk

The impression that Ireland was a remote, isolated place in antiquity is outdated. Latest evidence suggests it was part of an active trade network along Atlantic-Mediterranean seaways. During the Neolithic and Bronze ages, the sea was a corridor for trade, communication, ideas and beliefs – easier, faster and more economical than overland routes.

In reality this made ancient Ireland ‘central and accessible’ – its west coast and islands part of a continuous maritime corridor, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia. Seagoing Irish had intense cultural affinity and contact with other communities along this long seaboard. The result was shared maritime heritage, language and religious beliefs.

Against this backdrop, Alf Monaghan traces the origin and spread of Pre-Christian eastern religious beliefs to Ireland, and their impact here. In this context too, the influence of Egyptian Christianity on the early Irish Church is easily understood.

This fascinating talk, ‘A Sacred Island Before Christianity’, is an intriguing ‘backstory’ to his earlier presentation ‘Monastic Ireland – A Gift of the Nile!’