Irish HistoryA Topical Triptych

The Land

Eire: A Wild Geography

an island never united politically, though homogenous culturally & linguistically

difficult terrain (complicates invasions by Norseman (Vikings), Normans, and English

modern transportation now overcoming barriers: some idealists envision unification . . .

Four Provinces the west (Connaught): difficult geographies; inaccessible; romanticized

the south (Munster): heavily Frenchified by Norman influence

the east (Leinster): incl. “eastern triangle” w/ less rain, bog, & mountain; contains NewGrange, Tara, Dublin

the north (Ulster): historically aloof; intractable (till Tudor “Plantations”)

Scandinavia Attackspagan Vikings from Norway invade in 8th c.

conquer w/ long & low ships, helmets, heavy swords, iron spears

drive Irish monasteries inland

build towns & fortified settlements (Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, etc.), create market economy

Norseman ally w/ various Irish kings

Norse (Viking) sword & helmet

Brian Boru999 A.D.: Irish leader Boru defeats king of Leinster & Dublin Norse, etc.

1002 A.D.: becomes high king of Eire, puts down dissent over 12 yrs

grants church in Armagh ecclesiastical supremacy over Eire

rehabilitates institutions of learning and religion; builds roads

1014: Battle of Clontarf; defeats kingdom of Leinster & Dublin Norse, but dies. Eire unified. faithful, photorealistic

renderings of the guy

Anglo-Norman Invasion1155: Pope Adrian IV issues papal bull Laudabiliter to English King Henry II “to teach the truths of the Christian faith to a rude & unlettered people”

1166: Diarmait Mac Murchada gains Henry II’s support to reclaim Leinster w/ Welsh volunteers; pact w/ Richard FitzGilbert (“Strongbow”)

1169: Strongbow takes Waterford, then all Leinster

1171: Henry II arrives, reserves Dublin & Wexford, allows Strongbow to hold Leinster; gives Meath to Hugh de Lacy, Ulster to John de Courcy, signs away Gaelic Irish lands of Cork & Limerick despite treaty of 1175, etc.

King John (1199-1216): central admin. (Dublin Castle) Pope Adrian IV (onlyEnglishman to ever be Pope)

Trouble w/ the Tudors 1541: Henry VIII declares self king of Eire; ennobles friends (now earls) w/ confiscated Irish lands as feudal fiefs

“plantation” of Protestant English into Irish lands continues; by 1590, most of Eire controlled by the English

given strategic position of Eire in ongoing hostilities w/ France & Spain, Elizabeth insures fidelity by granting plots of land to Protestant English settlers who hold onto English language and culture

1593-1603: Ulster War—Irish clan leaders revolt; ends w/ Battle of Kinsale (1601-1603)

“The Rainbow Portrait, “an allegorical, “ageless” representation, c.1600

The 17th Century1607: Flight of the Earls (90+ Ulster aristocracy), incl. Hugh O’Neill

1609: Plantation of Ulster w/ English & Scottish Protestants (by James I)

1641: Irish Rebellion successful; 1642: Catholic Confederation results

1649-53: Cromwellian conquest

1697: Banishment Act Robert Walker’s ”Oliver Cromwell” (c.1649)

Act of Union & Resistance1791: United Irishmen (U.I.) founded; ’98 revolt fails; W. Tone & E. Fitzgerald die

1800: Act of Union

1823: Daniel O’Connell forms Catholic Association; 1840: forms Repeal Association; Clontarf meeting fails

1858: James Stephens & Irish Republican Brotherhood (Fenians); 1867 uprising

1879: Irish National Land League founded by Michael Davitt & Charles Parnell; 1881: Landlord & Tenant Act

1886: Gladstone’s 1st Home Rule bill defeated

Theobald Wolfe Tone’sdeath mask

Faith

Christianity’s Advent: 5th c.

St. Patrick arrives (c.430-450), authors 1st extant document written in Eire (in Latin) narrating conversion of Eire north of Munster. No martyrs needed.

introduces monastic life; monasteries proliferate after St. Pat’s death

Eire’s growing monastic (not diocesan) hierarchy unique in western Christendom at the time

statue of St. Pat on Slieve Patrick, overlooking Saul & Raholp

Monasticism in 6th c.many monasteries: St. Enda’s on Aran Islands, Colum Cille’s in Durrow, Derry, & Iona; St. Brigid’s at Kildare

“monastery” denotes community more than a building (mere wooden huts)

memorized much scripture, and some Latin classics by Virgil, etc.

missionaries: Columbanus to Europe, Colum Cille to Scotland, etc. Saint Enda’s Monastery, Innish

Mhór, Aran Islands

11th-12th c. Eirechurch organizes amidst conflicts, now sending missionaries abroad

monastic organization leads to little pastoral care until . . .

1111 A.D.: national synod reorganizes Eire for pastoral purposes; presided over by Cellach & high-king, divides Eire into 24 sees (in 1148, redivided into 36 sees)

1142: arrival of Cistercians (attentive to society); end of monastic dominance

8th-c. copy of Rule of St. Benedict: peace, pray, & work

Protestants vs. Catholics1534: H. VIII establishes Church of E. after clash w/ Pope Urban VIII; monasteries dismantled

1695-1727: harshest penal laws enacted for Catholic worship, not conforming Church of E., refusing Oath of Supremacy

penalty for 1st offense: forfeit all possessions unless total < 20£ (then, imprisonment)

1793: franchise restored to Catholics

1829: Catholic Relief Act: provides, but cultural split remains

Storytelling & The Arts

Ancient Arts & Class Stratification

leaders: high king, king of a province, over-kings, king of a tuath (petty kingdom)

aristocracy: nobles, ollam (chief poet)

áes dána (“men of art”): the learned classes (incl. filí & brehons), portable franchise/mobility, memorization

freemen: skilled tradesmen (incl. smiths, physicians, & harpers)

unfree classes: slaves, labourers, musicians, pipers, jugglers 8th c. Irish Legal Manuscript

(created by Brehons)

Golden Age of Early Christian Ireland: 7th & 8th c.

synergy of Irish and Latin worlds . . .

poetry students learn to read, write

Christians now using Brehon courts, drawing up ecclesiastical laws

clerics adopting heroic motifs when writing of saints like Patrick, Brigid

Christian artist employ Gaelic Irish designs

pages from the Book of Kells (c.800 A.D.)

11th-12th c. Eire: language

poets develop first grammar of a western European language

Irish language replacing Latin in monastic schools

art of illumination developed

new literature: lives of saints, sermons, Biblical history, devotional lyrics, etc.

from the Leabhar na hUidhre (Book of the Dun Cow). c/1100(

Literary Arts as Protest1729: Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”

1842: Young Ireland formed, associated with weekly paper The Nation; failed insurrection in 1848

1892: D. Hyde’s “The Necessity for De-Anglicising the Irish Nation”

1893: Gaelic League founded

1893: WBY’s “To Ireland in the Coming Times”

1897: WBY, Lady Gregory, and Edward Martyn discuss theater

photo of Inis Oírr, part of Aran Islands

1899: United Irishman weekly paper resurrected by Arthur Griffith & John Mitchel; contributors incl. poet Padraig Pearse & incendiary Maud Gonne

1899: performance of WBY’s play “The Countess Cathleen”

1901: production of Douglas Hyde’s Casadh an tSúgáin (The Twisting of the Rope), in Irish

1902: WBY’s Cathleen ni Houlihan; 1903: Synge’s Riders to the Sea

1904: Abbey Theater opens w/ WBY’s On Baile’s Strand and Lady Gregory’s Spreading the News

Irish Literary Renaissance

the original Abbey Theater

UNUSED SLIDES (no need to know this material)

Celtic, Pre-Christian EireLa Tène, an old iron age culture, reaches Eire around 2nd c. B.C.

Celtic war trumpets, torques (collars) found in Ulster & Connacht—site of Irish sagas

Irish Gaelic derives from Q-Celtic; linguistic unity in Eire

Heroic Age ends by 450 A.D. when Connachta destroy Ulster kingdom of Emain Macha

Early Irish Society(1st-8th centuries, A.D.)

the tuath

petty kingdoms

150+ tuatha, despite national population under 500,000

the fine

extended family group

commoners live in individual farms

better homesteads were raths (see right) surrounded by an earthen rampart

Social Order & Exchangeking held no legal power; no law enforcement per se; closely-knit family groups help maintain order

elaborate giving of hostages or pledges formed system of guarantee

status expressed materially by one’s eneclann (“honour-price”)

sét: basic unit of value (sometimes equal to a young heifer)

cumal = female slave (or 6 séts)

two forms of ancient Irish currency: seer & cumal

11th-12th c. Eire: politics100-200 petty kingdoms, and some Norse towns

7 states: Munster, Leinster, Connacht, Meath, Ailech, Airgialla, and Ulaid

since Boru, high-kingship is now fought over by rival provincial kings

O’Connors rising in power until Diarmait Mac Murchada ousted from Leinster & appeals to Henry II

Norse (Viking) sword & helmet

Anglo-Norman Influence1250: at this point, 75% of Eire overcome by Normans; conquered areas become peaceful, ordered

King John (1199-1216) provides central administration, Dublin Castle

1297: first parliament draws elected representatives from 7 counties and a few “liberties” (Meath, Kildare, Ulster, etc.)

Normans encourage Gaelic Irish to continue herding cattle, tilling soil

Normans 1st to use coins generally; increase trade thru market towns

King John, unknown painter and date

Young Ireland1842: Young Ireland formed, associated with weekly newspaper The Nation

Thomas Davis: Irish nationality which embraces everyone

Charles Gavan Duffy: Irish parliamentary party should remain independent of both English parties

John Mitchel: complete separation from England; physical force needed

James Fintan Lalor: links independence to land movement

1848: failed insurrectionJames Fintan Lalor (1807-1849)