As Christianity spread in Ireland more people wanted toserve God. Some left their homes and families and went to live in lonely places. They dressed in simple clothes, fastedand prayed to God. These people were called monks.
People admired them and others went to join them. Soon a group of monks were living together in a monastery. Later monks used stone to build their Monasteries.
The most remarkable building in many monasteries is the round tower. It is a tall round building with a pointed roof and a door some distance above the ground. When raiders came the monks climbed up a ladder, pulled it up after them and were safe. Sometimes the round tower was burned. We are told that in 949 the round tower at the monastery of Slane,Co. Meath was burned and all who were in it died.
Other buildings in the monastery were churches, cells where the monks lived and the scriptorium where they copied manuscripts. Usually there was one or more high crosses in the monastery. These were over six metres high and had carvings of scenes from the Bible on them.
Monks could write in Latin and Irish. They set up schools and many people from came to study.
By the time of the Vikings the monasteries were like towns and many people lived in or near them. Monasterieswere often attacked by Irish chieftains from another area.These raiders stole cattle, food and other
goods as well as gold crosses, chalices and sacred vessels. Vikings also attacked Irish monasteries for the same reasons. Irish monks learned to fear the Vikings. They welcomed stormy weather that kept the raiders away. One monk wrote this little poem in a manuscript:
Wild is the wind tonight
Tossing the sea's white hair.
I fear no fierce Vikings
Sailing the Irish Sea.
Happy Christmas from Trim.
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