Key learning points

1. By the early 6th century, monasteries began to be set up across Ireland.
2. At first, these were meant as places for Christians to retreat to and dedicate their lives to God.
3. They were often in remote, hard to reach places like the island of Skellig Michael.
4. Many monasteries, though, attracted the patronage of kings and the rich and grew in both size and importance.
5. They were centres for the teaching of poetry, literature, and the arts and produced manuscripts like the Book of Kells.

Keywords

• Monastery - a monastery is a building lived in by a community of monks who follow religious vows

• Patronage - patronage is the support given by a person to another person, organisation or cause, usually involving money

• Monk - a monk is a member of a community of men living under religious vows

Common misconception