bookbook Christianity first arrived at Ireland’s shores in 431, when Palladius was sent by the Pope as the first bishop of Ireland. Saint Patrick, probably the most celebrated and famous figure in Ireland’s history, was not himself Irish. He was born in northern Britain to a wealthy Roman official. At the age of sixteen he was captured by Irish pirates and sold into slavery. After escaping from Ireland, he went to France, became a bishop and then made his life’s work the conversion to Christianity of the homeland of his slave-masters. His great success was aided by many other Irish saints including Saints Enda of Arranmore (died 530), Edna (died 516), Finnian (circa 470–550), Columba of Iona (7 December 521–9 June 597), Brendan the Voyager (circa 484–578), Brigid (453–1 February 523), Comgall (circa 515-600), Finbarr (circa 550-623), and Ciaran (circa 515-556). Together they melded the Christian religion with the pagan religion in Ireland and built the monasteries that preserved Christianity and its culture during Europe’s Dark Ages.

Saint Edana of West Ireland, 516 AD