This was the intriguing topic* being discussed by Ryan Tubridy this morning, it’s worth a listen in. Roman graveyards found in Bray in the 18th Century? Now who’d a thunk it?
The common belief in Ireland is that the Romans never invaded, and yes, just one look at our roads would seem to confirm this point in spades. Nor, in a country flooded with old monuments, do we have too many remains of Roman forts or Roman baths. That I will grant you.
However, there is one particular legacy from the Roman times that has had a potent influence on Irish history right up to the present day. Yep, you guessed it. The Roman Catholic Church.
Even our native language is studded with Latin words. Our numbers for instance: Aon, Dó, Trí, Ceathair, Cúig – almost perfect Latin translations.
Is it really credible that just one man and a few like-minded buddies managed to convert over a whole country of pagans, and in such a short time as it seems? Take a look at this text and see how ridiculous the whole thing sounds.
It sounds to me you would need a lot more than a few pious priests from Wales to convert so effectively the entire country. Something a bit more systematic, surely?
Anyway, I am no historian, and if the date of Patrick’s arrival is anything to go by (AD 433), the Roman Empire was already in quite a bit of difficulty by then. Who is to say that Latinisation and Christianising didn’t start in Ireland some time before Patrick was ever supposed to have come over?
I don’t know the answer, but my hunch is that perhaps Ireland was a lot more Romanised back then that we might think. I would be interested in learning more about this.
*Real player required. Podcasting options may be available soon if you check out this link.
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