Celtic Ireland was divided into as many as 100 chiefdoms, though these often owed
allegiance to kings of larger provinces such as Munster or Connaught. At times,
there was also a titular High King
based at Tara. Ireland became
Christian in the 5th century AD, heralding a golden age of
scholarship centred on the new monasteries, while missionaries such as St.
Columba travelled abroad. At the end of 8th century, Celtic Ireland
was shattered by the arrival of the Vikings.
400
400 Pope sends first Christian missionary Palladius.
432 Start of St Patrick’s mission to Ireland.
455 St Patrick founds church at Armagh
500
c.550 Beginning of golden age of Celtic monasticism
563 St Columba (Colmcille), the first Irish missionary,
founds monastery of Iona in the Hebrides
600
615 St Columbanus
dies in Italy after founding many new monasteries on the Continent
664 Synod of Whitby decides that Irish Church should
conform with Rome over date of Easter
c.690 Book of Durrow completed
700
795 First Viking
invasion of coastal monasteries
800
807 Work starts on
Kells Monastery
841 A large Viking
fleet spends the winter at Dublin
900
967 Irish warriors sack Limerick and begin military campaign against Viking
overlords
999 Sitric
Silkenbeard the Viking king of Dublin, surrenders to Brian Ború.
1000
1014 High King
Brian Ború of Munster defeats joint army of Vikings and the King of Leister at
Clontarf
1100
1134 Cormac’s
Chapel is built at Cashel
1142 Ireland’s first Cistercian house founded at Mellifont
1166 Dermont McMurrough, King of Leister, flees overseas
