T H E E A R LY I R I SH M ON A ST I C SC H OO L S ’ A STUDY OF I R ELAND S CONTR IBUTION TO EA RLY M EDI EVAL CULTURE H U G H G R A H A M , M . A . P r r r a ofes s o of E d u c a ti o n . Co llege of S t . Te es . w D U BL I N TALBOT PRESS LIMITED 85 TALBOT STREET 1 923 PREFAC E THE aim of the present study is to give within reasonable limits a critical and fairly complete account of the Irish Monastic Schools which flourish d D e prior to 900 A . The period dealt with covering as it does the one o f sixth , seventh , eighth , and ninth centuries is the most obscure in the history of education . In accordance With established custom writers are wont to bewail the decline of learning consequent on the Fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century and then they pass on rapidly to the fifteenth Renaissance in the ; a few , however , pau se to glance at the Carolingian Revival of learning in the ninth century and to remark paren thetically that learning was preserved in Ireland and a few isolated places o n the fringe of Roman Civilization , but With some notable exceptions writers as a class have failed to realise that as in other departments of human knowledge there is a continuity in the history of education . The great vi i . viii PREFACE connecting link between the Renaissance and the G raeco - Roman culture which flouri shed in Western Europe during the early centuries of our era is the Irish Monastic Schools . Modern research clearly points to the conclusion that the history of these schools is in reality a chapter in the history of education in Western Europe . While we do not claim that the Irish schools were the sole factor in the pres ervation and transmission of letters during the Early Middle Ages we are certainly convinced that they played a leading part . The cumulative evidence which we submit amply warrants this conclusion . The many tributes of a complimentary nature which scholars have bestowed on the work of the Irish Monastic Schools would indicate that the importance of their influence has not been over loo ked ; yet it seems to u s that their real aim and character have not always been clearly understood . In a certain respect these schools were unique : they were neither purely classical schools of the t flourished n type hat in Gaul in the fourth ce tury , nor were they mere theological seminaries such as existed in certain parts of B ritain and the Continent influenc that lay outside the Irish sphere of e . The peculiar character of the I rish monastic school would appear to be the result of the harmonious PREFACE ix : 1 combination of three distinct elements , Native 2 G raeco - Irish Culture ; , Christianity ; 3 , Roman Culture . We believe that this conception of Irish monastic culture furnishes the key to a proper understanding of the real significance of Irish scholarship during the Early Middle Ages . No study of Irish monastic schools which neglected to give due consideration to the potent influence of each of these three constituents would be adequate of con even if it were intelligible . The force this viction which is the result of a prolonged and critical examination of all the relevant material to hand has determined the form which the present study has assumed . The first and second chapters are not merely first introductory they are fundamental . In the chapter we discuss the question of a pre - Christian - and pre classical native Irish culture . The second chapter is devoted to an examination of that difficult problem , the beginnings of classical learn — ing in Ireland a matter on which modern research i ho has thrown considerable light . As the s c o l was so intimately connected with the monastic system it was necessary to devote a special chapter to an examination of the more salient features of Irish monasticism which differed in many ways i from Continental monast cism . Here we are im PREFACE presse d with the fact that the native Irish ideals blended with those of Christianity so as to give the Irish monastic life a peculi arly national character which was ever refle cted in the educational aims and ideals of the I rish monk even when his mis sionary zeal carried him far from the environment his u of native land . In the fo rth chapter the attempt is made to determine the precise relation which existed between the Irish monastic school and the general educational situation not only in Ireland and Britain but in Western Europe from 650 to 900 A. O . Those three great centres of intel — lectual life in every Irish monastery the school i u — room , the scr ptori m and the library are treated in fifth u the chapter . The particular f nction of each and its relation to the others is described while t influence heir combined , whether of a con m . temporary or per anent nature , has been noticed Th e all- importa nt question of the nature of the cur riculum has been critically examined in the sixth . i a chapter F n lly , a chapter is given to a discussion of th e scope o f Iris h scholarship and its significance e a in Medi v l Cultu re . While a work o f this nature can scarcely claim to be original and the acknowledgments are too ro nume us to recount , yet the grouping is new and not unfrequently facts have been presented from a PREFACE xi new angle . Source material has been consulted where possible . The results of previous investiga tion have been freely used , but even as often happened when we have arrived at conclusions which have been anticipated by other writers , we have maintained quite as critical and independent an attitude as when we ventured to challenge certain popular opinions and to make such generalizations as the result of our own study seemed to warrant . In some instances , however , this study has carried u s into fields of inquiry where we have no credentials , but in these cases as in every other where we have used secondary authorities - acknowledgment is always made in the foot notes . In various ways we have endeavoured to con dense a good deal of information into a limited For space . example , to avoid repetition we give frequent cross references to important topics dealt with in different parts of this study . Again , instead of attempting the bewildering and impo s sible task of giving an account of individual schools we have given a list of the more important ones and merely referred to particular schools as occasion demanded in order to illustrate certain points of For primary importance . similar reasons all attempts at biographical accounts of Irish scholars have been studiously avoided . Such references xfi PREFACE as have occasionally -been made were necessary in carrying out o ur general plan which was to deal with the Irish monastic school as an educational Oi u ins titution . course it wo ld have served no useful purpose to ignore completely those men whose acknowledged scholarship was the best testi mony of the character of the instruction available in the s chools in which they themselves stu died and A word might be said with reference to the pro o p rtion of s pace occupied by the different topics . The plan invariably followed has been to give a minimum of space to any topic which is treated a n f irly fully elsewhere in some accessible work . O the other hand no topic which appeared to be integral part of the general plan has been omitted and s uch topics as have been inadequately treated sew el here have here received fuller consideration . While quite cons cious o f the limitati ons of our ea is tr tment , it hoped that by pointing out many supplementary sources of information we have done so m h et ing to smooth the path of other investigators ma who y wish to explore those portions of the same he w ld hich lay outside the scope of our present inquiry The a uthor wishes to expres s his sincere thanks to the w : D r . l H . i follo ing to F etcher Sw ft , Professo r PREFACE xfii of the History of Education in the University o f Minnesota , for his sympathetic interest in the sub j e ct and for his advice and guidance ; to Rev . P o f St . Laurence . Murray , Principal ’ Co . Brigid s Irish College , Omeath , Louth , for the use of his excellent Irish library and for helpful suggestions and criticisms of the earlier chapters ; Dr . uilda . G to Rev Peter y , Professor of History C f . o D . in the Catholic University Washington , , for reading the M S . and for his advice and encourage ’ r l ment ; to M . Patrick O Da y of the Talbot Press for seeing the work through the press and for pains — taking proof reading ; and finally to the publishers for turning out the work in an attractive and scholarly form . COLLEGE OF . ST TERESA, WINONA MI E O , NN S TA U . S. A , L d Fh éi le P a d r a 1 2 9 3 . ig . C O N T E N T S P AG E I I —TH G I I G S OF C ASSI CA .