The beliefs and cults of the Celts
The beliefs of the inhabitants of the island before the Gaels are little documented. It is often and almost exclusively Greek or Roman writings that inform us. The Romans never invaded the island. But do not think that the green Erin was then a peaceful Eden. The Celts of the island occupied themselves by bickering between kingdoms, honored chiefs of small kingdoms prey to the covetousness of their neighbors, developed Brehon laws that still today seem avant-garde, imagined beautiful stories that they told so well that we no longer know what really happened.
The new technologies at the service of archaeologists allow new interpretations on the art of living and beliefs in Ireland. By finding offerings, food, in the tombs they excavate, archaeologists assure us that the first inhabitants of the island believed in life after death. Pagan rites, sessions led by druids are organized. Places of worship, sacred places, adopt a particular architecture: dolmens and cairns are erected, an impressive stone portal-tomb evokes the way the dead were honored, nearly 6,000 years ago. Newgrange, Poulnabrone or Creevykeel are impressive vestiges.
Once upon a time, the tales and legends of Ireland
Festive events punctuated the year with 4 periods in 2 seasons. The light season, Beltaine and Lugnasad, and the dark season, Samhain and Imbolc. Later, these pagan festivals will be used as support for the Christian pastors. Samhain will be adopted to celebrate the dead, it is also Hallowe'en today. The story of these events invites a mixture of real characters or mythological creatures. So many ceremonies allowing to pay homage to the goddess Earth, to the goddesses of the rivers. Festivals to celebrate a good harvest were occasions to get drunk, as much with drinks as with words. From the protohistory, the Celts attend great festivals where they move in clan, the family. They gathered to pray under the oak trees, the Celts' sacred tree. The origin of the word "druid", as they call their magician, would come from the Gaelic duru, which means "oak". The oak tree is found in the name of the city of Derry whose coat of arms is an oak leaf. It is also the time when the great sagas of Irish heroes are transmitted. Táin Bó Cúailnge, the Razzia of the Cows of Cooley, is the main story of the Ulster cycle. It is still the literary basis of Celtic mythology, a founding text of Ireland. In short, rulers of the kingdom of Ireland, guided by the chiefs of Connaught, invade Ulster to steal from its king the red bull, a particular bull, the Brown of Cúailnge. They will have to fight against the hero Cúchulainn, the Irish superhero par excellence, son of the gods Lug and Eithne.
No wonder, in such a fantastic world, that poets invoke Merlin (Mirddhyn) the enchanter, that we are ready to go on crusade with the Knights of the Round Table, to die of love like Tristan and Isolde, to run on the moor to meet the wood fairy, to share the herb wine..
Christianity settles in Ireland
On the continent, the new religion took root in step with the invasions. In Ireland, it was the slaves captured during the raids that the island's Celts brought back, who gradually spread the Christian religion. Saint Patrick was one of the slaves brought to the island. Little by little, monasteries were organized and became seats of power and influence. Irish monk illuminators and their finely calligraphed manuscripts were designed to convey a message through images to those who couldn't read. Did you say power and influence? While the start of Christianization in the5th and 6thcenturies was a smooth affair in a flourishing Celtic Ireland, the aftermath was sometimes more turbulent. Under English rule, rural Ireland became the granary of English cities. Much of the food produced on the island was shipped to Great Britain. Celtic peasants lost control of the land, economic power and political influence. The Catholic Church organized aid and encouraged conversion. Peasant life became "Catholicized" without losing all its pagan traditions. The Celtic cult of the seasons and festive habits blended with Catholic festivals. Today, eating habits, the wake of the dead, Hallowe'en, Sainte-Brigit, Boxing Day... still bear the marks of their Celtic and pagan origins.
Economic upturn, wider religious spectrum
Today, times are changing and so are the Irish. However, even if the Irish have adopted marriage for all and abortion, the majority of marriages are still celebrated in the church. Children are baptized.
In the 1961 census, the rate was the highest, with 94.9 per cent of the population identifying themselves as Catholic. In 2016, the rate had reached its lowest point, with 78.3%. This decrease can be attributed to the number of people who say they have no religion because they do not practice it regularly. The rate of people reporting no religion is now 9.8 percent of the population, up from 5.9 percent in 2011. The rate of Catholics remains higher in the provinces than in the cities. There is also an increase in the number of Muslims and Orthodox. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the Irish economy is once again on the rise and it is likely that the statistics for the number of religions practiced in Ireland will change again. The remaining people who identify themselves as Christian are Presbyterians and Pentecostals. Muslims make up 1.3% of the population, and this number continues to grow. Buddhists represent 0.2% and the Jewish population represents 0.05%.
