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)